First Steps into a New World: Naruto's Life
by Arballisk
Summary: Some Revision Naruto begins a new training ritual, amidst enemies moving to strike Konoha, demons revealing that nothing is black and white, worlds clashing, Naruto's realization of his destiny, and unknown gods poking fun at it all
1. Being the Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto

Well hello good denizens of the fanfiction world! This is my first time posting, so I hope you enjoy it, even though I did not do much proof-reading on it.

There are a few issues I must address though before I begin with the tale.

**1)** This fic takes place after the fight with Kakuzu and Hidan. It assumes that Naruto's arm has healed. Also, the events after that (i.e. Orochimaru's defeat at the hands of Sasuke and everything else does not happen.

**2) **This fic is Naru-centric, but there will be times when OCs will be featured, but never for too long.

That's all I can think of for now, so please leave a review with lots of constructive criticism and the like.

NOW we can begin! Enjoy!

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**Is it on?**

**Can he hear me?**

**It is?**

**Good.**

**Now shut up fuckers.**

**Ahem ahem. Hey there little guy. I bet you're wondering who I am, aren't you? Well, sorry but I can't tell you that. Maybe later . . . if you're good that is.**

**Anyhooooooooo . . . . . . just here to say 'hi' and all that pish-posh. Nothing much to do really, wot. If something does happen though, I will be right here and ready to talk, wot wot.**

**Hmmmm? Oops, well I have to go little dude. See you later!**

**Now where's my gun?**

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Cerulean eyes blink, the drowsiness of the morning making the eyelids slow and unstable. A hand rises up from the crumpled mess of bed sheets. It wavers in the general vicinity of the sun, hoping to knock the offending ball of hot gas out of the sky. Or at least block the brain killing light rays of blinding pain.

Another hand rises up like the living dead and clutches the bed. The sheets heave themselves up, grumbling and yawning. A green head with large happy eyes peaks out, apparently enjoying the yellow spiky something that it is munching on. In fact, this yellow spiky something is, in fact, blond spiky hair.

The ever useful hands come up and rub at the young man' eyes. Slowly he swings his legs over the side of the bed, his normally handsome face scrunched up with the strain of moving so early in the morning. As he levers himself up he scratches his hair, inadvertently knocking away his green cranial parasite.

Moans and groans issue from his mouth as he shuffles in an awkward gait out of the room. Expertly stumbling through the doorway, he wobbles his way through, the next room, body automatically responding to the furniture in his path. A few more dragging steps and he finds himself in a new room, this time with a sink and tub, though he could not see it. Grasping the faucet he jams it all the way to the stopper letting out a geyser of arctic water. Heedless of its evil iciness he cups his hands and gathers some water, and splashes his face. He repeats the process, running the water and splashing his face and he quickly picks up speed as he is shocked into awakening. After he is thoroughly soaked, he grabs a bottle of facial soap and squirts a bit into his hands. Rubbing this into his skin, the boy closes his eyes and slowly breathes, the scent of the soap sending a spark through his senses. Again he fills his cupped hands with water, this time to forcibly wash away the soapy suds.

Eyes shut, his hands blunder around the sink until they make contact with the edge of a newly dried towel. He scrubs his face clean, and gets a good look at himself for the first time that morning. He sees the same thing that he has seen for the past sixteen years – the face of a young man coming into his own. His deep blue eyes now gaze out at the world with a contagious determination. The build of his face shows evidence of baby fat loss, evidenced by his angular jaw and long face. Six curious scratches adorn his cheeks, three to each, lending him the likeness of a fox. His mouth his slightly large and tensed up a small bit, as if anticipating a hilarious punch line to an amusing joke. Golden blonde hair sits atop his scalp, untamed and eagerly jabbing in every direction. His visage is one many remark to be the best and most favored in Konoha

He wipes away the last few bits of water from his hair, and stares at his reflection for a short time. Then a grand smile breaks out, and he says:

"Good morning Uzumaki Naruto, you handsome devil you!"

Yes, the boy's name is Uzumaki Naruto, and he is one sexy devil.

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He stabs his hand into the inky blackness. He stumbles about blindly until he feels the coarse cord slide between his fingers. Grasping it, Naruto pulls. A light illuminates the space like the sun glaring through a telescope into a awakening person's eyes. But the blonde does not notice, too focused is he on swallowing his ramen, cup, and fork. Finally his hand snatches the sleeve of one of his infamous orange jumpsuits. Tugging it down from the hanger he tosses it on his unmade bed.

His bedroom is actually larger than most other apartments' even though his mess seems to make it shrink. The walls are a very light green, with the baseboards being light yellow-green. Naruto's bed lies in front of a window, which is opposite from the closet on the other side of the room. The window looks out over a great portion of Konoha, is the perfect place to watch the sunset. His closet is actually larger than what he needs, seeing as how its only two-fifths full. Do not infer from this that he has few clothes. He just doesn't want any more. Three pairs of footwear, seven orange-and-black jumpsuits, and an array of casual clothes (which also have the same color scheme) are all he needs.

There is a door in front of the foot of his bed that leads to the kitchen. Next to the door is a three-compartment dresser made from trees originating in mountain ranges of Fire Country. At either side of his headboard is a nightstand with a copy of _Icha Icha Tactics_ on the left and a lamp on the right.

Piles of clothes lay haphazardly on the floor. Some gathered in immense piles of stickiness, and others seem to have run off to mate with the other, less nasty orgies of fabric. Slurping down the rest of his packaged ramen, Naruto casts an eye about his room.

"Hmm. I'll take 'em by the cleaners tomorrow."

Saying this, he proceeds to change into the set laying on his bed. A pull, crick, and two zips later he stands in his infamous shinobi outfit. Next he grabs his nin-pouch (essential for all that ninja-ing they do) and loops its handle through his belt. Finally the blonde reaches into the closet and extracts his blue tabi, or ninja sandals. These he adorns while sitting on his unmade bed.

Finished with his daily dressing routine, Naruto walks into the kitchen. The doorway from his bedroom points straight toward the sink. The countertop starts about seven feet from the door. Then it moves forward for four feet before turning to the right for six feet. The counter is made from marble, an import from Stone Country popular with many Konoha homes. The sink, which can hold around three gallons, is burnished silver with a water purifier. It is a gift from the Haruno family, given after his teammate Sakura had seen the unspeakable damage he had done to it.

On the left-hand part of the counter is a stove and oven combination. A microwave sits above this twosome, a break in the continuity of polished brown cabinets running the same distance as the counter. A dish-washing machine is built into the counter next to the sink. The refrigerator begins where the counter ends, and seems too large for a single person. Last of all is the kitchen table and chairs which sit in the center of the kitchen.

Naruto walks to the closest cabinet, opening it to reveal an obscene amount of cup ramen. He grabs one of the cups and rips away the plastic wrap and the paper cover is opened halfway. Turning to the sink, he fills the container to the depressed indicator line with purified water. Then Naruto turns to the microwave, opens the door, and tosses in his noodly-deliciousness. He sets the timer for three minutes and walks back into his bedroom.

Naruto glances at the pictures lining his wall those perched atop his dressers. All depict the shinobi with a variety of people. One shows himself and an intimidating fat child competing in a ramen eating contest. In the background a black haired boy with a ponytail is staring at the two in awed disgust. A pale blonde girl with a fetish for purple leans halfway into a trashcan, presumably dumping her guts. Last is a bearded fellow smoking ten cigarettes at once with his hands clasped over his eyes.

There is one taken in panoramic view, showing mass numbers of people chasing after a familiar blonde. All of the pursuers are coated in orange paint, head-to-toe.

In yet another, Naruto is shown poking a dark haired girl. Her skin is red as beets and lavender eyes stare upward. Behind them are two boys, one shady in a high-collar jacket and the other sighing with a dog in his jacket.

Next to that is a photo with two nearly identical people, with bowl-cut hair and green suits.

Hanging above the left nightstand is a picture of Naruto in a red men's kimono with his right arm around a blonde woman's waist. Said woman is blonde with large bangs framing her face and wears a purple kimono that does nothing to hide her immense cleavage. Her right hand holds up a bottle of sake with her left arm around Naruto's shoulders. In Naruto's left hand is a large sack of ryou. A white haired man can be seen slumped over the counter of a bar.

The last is the most significant. Naruto stands next to a pink-haired girl with a wide forehead. Next to her is a boy with black hair and a grimace seemingly ironed onto his face. All stand in front a man with a facemask and windblown silver hair.

Naruto stares at this picture for some time, lost in his own thoughts. A beep from the microwave draws him out, and he walks away, one thought still in his mind:

'Maybe you can't be saved, but that doesn't mean that I won't try.'

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Naruto sits astride the railing of his balcony and stares out over the city of Konohagakure no Sato. His eyes lazily troll over the rooftops and trace over the streets and alleys. The sounds of the early morning hustle and bustle are a calming melody to him. He would often do this in the mornings. Caught up in the whirlwind of events in his life Naruto often never takes the time to stop and see his village.

He smiles as he contemplates what Konoha means to himself now and in the past. Before he discovered his true nature he had a miserable life. Unloved and scorned none save the Hokage, the council, and later his sensei Iruka ever spoke to him with compassion. Truthfully, he feared the hate of the villagers, and adopted an emotional mask to hide his true self from the eyes of the world. He presented himself as a fool and a prankster; a façade of happiness against his depression.

After he was told that he is the Kyuubi's container by the traitor Mizuki, Naruto's life took a turn for the better. He gained many friends who showed their affections in many different ways, and though it was brief, he found a brother in Uchiha Sasuke.

Gradually his mask integrated into his personality becoming his new identity. He had nothing to fear, and so he had no need to hide behind a mask. A new Naruto was born-one who is truly happy.

But today he must cut his contemplations short, because he intends to be an annoyance to the Hokage Tsunade. Asking her for missions gets him nowhere, so maybe if he becomes an enormous pain in the ass she will send him away just to be rid of his presence. Hopefully to somewhere nice. With lots of bad guys to beat up.

Stretching his legs and twisting his back, Naruto slides from his perch on the railing to the wood platform. As he walks down the balcony jutting out from his apartment, he hears a light pitter-pat and a flapping of wings.

"Kree-kree-kraak!" says the feathery visitor.

"Huh?" Naruto blinks and turns his back to look at the bird. But it is not just any bird; the Hokage's Personal Courier Hawk. One of four hawks specially trained to find anyone in Konoha, these birds of pray have been used by the Hokages since the villages creation.

The hawk hops forward flapping its wings and swinging its head side to side. Then it hunkers down on its right leg and raises its left, a small scroll tied lengthwise above its clawed feet.

The blonde shinobi smiles as he unties the scroll, eager to see what the message is. The thin parchment easily unrolls under Naruto's fingers revealing the short message within:

"Hokage's Tower. Now.

-Tsunade"

The distinctive handwriting is unmistakable. Naruto always finds her characters to be the most beautiful he has ever seen. The combination of the impatient, thin, and quick strokes with the skillful mastery of perfectly formed characters delights him. It symbolizes the true balance of speed and precision that he aspires to have.

Naruto smiles to the bird saying "Head back little guy, I got it covered."

The hawk gives a small nod before falling off the railing. It spins as it approaches the ground, then unfurls its wings, tilting the hawk up until its is parallel with the ground. After a few seconds the wings give single mighty beat and the avian ascends high above the village buildings.

Rolling up the small message, Naruto watches his visitor fly away. Then he turns back towards his apartment in a leisurely trot. He opens a sliding all-weather door that leads to his room. Leaping over his bed Naruto opens the dresser next to the bedroom doorway and drops the scroll on a small pile of scrolls and various assorted ninja weapons. Now, stepping back on to the balcony, Naruto runs its length.

Then he jumps.

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The day is loud in Konoha, much like any other. Men and women walk the streets, vendors hawk their wares, and children run blithely amongst it all. Various shops are preparing for the day ahead while ninja walk carefree like ordinary citizens. Naruto smiles widely, happy to see the villagers in such high spirits.

His hands are clasped behind his head as he leans back in casual relaxation.

His presence does not go unnoticed, as several people turn to look at him.

Unlike their previous ways of looking at him, they now look at him with pride. Yes, for several years now much of Konoha has realized the error of its ways and all the villagers seek forgiveness. To keep his secret safe though, some nod or smile at him, while others give him gifts or enormous discounts from their stores.

There are still a few left that hate Naruto, but the tables have been turned. Those who still continue to hate have been ostracized from polite society. All of this kindness on Naruto's behalf is rather overwhelming. It is a good kind of overwhelming though, with so many admirers.

Speaking of which, here comes one now.

"'Ello Naruto! Grand oauld day tae be out eh?" says an older gentleman, grey hair on the sides of his head, with the bald crown shining brightly in the sun. He wears a green yukata with a lighter green undershirt and a black belt stretching across his waist. His pants are an earthy brown and a pair of worn black zori adorns his feet. In his right hand is a hand-carved cane, made from the wood of an apple tree. His right hand weaves through the scraggly whiskers on his chin. Eyes squinting, he gives Naruto a searching look.

"Mmmm . . . boy? Summ'ins diffren' bou you, but ah jus' can't put ma finger oan it."

Naruto grins, just barely able to piece together what the old man said. He might just be one of the nicest people one could meet. The only problem is that almost no one understands him. This is understandable, since he brought his family to Konoha from the east beyond the shinobi nations. He gives no reason for the move though and always tries to avoid the subject.

"Aahhh, so you noticed Ojiji-san! Well, I did beat some really powerful nuke-nin -"at this he turns to the side and flexes his right arm "-using my super-cool new jutsu! It totally destroyed him!"

Giggling sounds out from behind the elder, and a twenty-something young woman walks into view. With long black hair and a rounded face, she represents the image of 'cute' in the eastern countries. She wears a furisode with the ribbon tied in front. The color scheme is the same as the older man's, but her footwear is the geta.

"Well Naruto-kun it sounds like you have grown much more powerful. And in so short a time too! I am impressed." She says with a smile.

"Yea Naruto I do be in agreement with wif ma lil' Xiaohua. You'm deffn'etly gett'in stronger boy! Yea, I bet you'm one a da' best nin in all of Kon'ha, eh? Eh-he-he-he-he!"

Naruto grins at the praise, rubbing the back of his head. "He-he thanks guys. That means a lot to me."

"Well it ought too" Xiaohua replies "since its true!"

"Yaaaa! Naruto! I got a dem' fine idear. Why don' ya come on in an ah'll get us some tea. Cain shut up shop fa' while. Be'in too laong saince we'm talked ma? Ya'll tell us'ns all 'bout yo trip wif Jiraiya-s'ma." The old man asks. He gestures behind himself towards a modest single floor house. It is the same color as some of the surrounding houses, but its architecture is slightly different. Instead of the rounded and tall style of Konoha, built to block out the hot sun with its long eaves, this building is built to be rain resistant and has flat walls.

There is a door on the right hand side of the building with two blue pieces of fabric hanging from the top of the door. They have the characters for the words "come hungry" sown into them. Though the entrance has been seeped, there is still old dirt pounded into the wood; evidence of a profitable establishment. On the side of the building facing the street is a banner proclaiming "Fun-zhao mian's Delicious Eastern Dishes" with the same title repeated in the characters of the language of the east.

Naruto shakes his head "Sorry Ojiji-san, but Baa-chan has something (probably an awesome mission only I can complete!) for me. And . . . erm, well, I guess I've had a long enough walk. Best get down to the hag's office now." He turns and runs down the street, shouting back at them:

"See ya Hua-chan! See ya Ojiji-san!" and he is gone in a flash of orange.

The two stand there for a while, staring at the last place they saw him.

"He did not even say good-bye grandfather." Says Xiaohua sadly.

"Haaa . . . the impat'ence o' yout'. Bes' be enjoy'in yo's ma flower. It goes waaaiiiii too fast." With that he walks back towards the building, his granddaughter at his heels.

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The Hokage's tower is the most important structure in all of Konoha. Built before Konoha was founded, it has been the home for five generations of Hokages. It is here that ninja receive missions and the public gives requests. Often times the missions are handed out at the mission center staffed by the Hokage and several Chuunins. For more important or urgent missions, the Hokage would meet with shinobi in the Hokage's office.

The tower also houses the Forbidden Scroll, which is filled with many unique and powerful jutsu. There are many other secrets kept there too, but those may never be revealed.

Another important figure in the tower is the council, composed of the Sandaime Hokage's old teammates Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. They act as advisors only, and they do not have any power over leadership. The Hokage wields full power over Konoha; much like a military dictatorship.

Currently, Konoha is under the leadership of the Legendary Slug Sannin, Godaime Hokage Tsunade. She was the apprentice of the Sandaime in her beginning years as a kunoichi. Her team was made up of the Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya and the Legendary Traitor, Snake Sannin Orochimaru.

And Konoha has Naruto and Tsunade's gambling addiction to thank for her leadership.

Now we join her as she sits in her office, waiting for her favorite headache.

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The young woman shifts uncomfortably in her chair. Adjusting her rear to a more cushioned portion of the seat, she smoothes out her black kimono and runs her fingers through her sandy blonde hair. Her tall polished black fan leans against her seat..

She sighs.

She pumps her leg.

She slumps forward, asleep.

This person, now with drool on her lips, is Sabaku no Temari. Born the daughter of the Sandaime Kazekage, she is the elder sister to Kankuro and Yondaime Kazekage Gaara.

Now she serves as ambassador to Konoha, and its unofficial Wind Mistress. And this title is part of the cause for her presence in this room. For this room is in fact, the Hokage's office.

In front of Temari is a darkly varnished desk. Old age chips away at it, some parts worn from years of use. Sitting on top of the desk are innumerous piles of papers reaching dangerously close to the ceiling. From behind the sheafy jungle are the faint calls of a snoozing person.

The room itself is unremarkable, green carpeting, a couch on the right wall and a bookcase slightly further down from it. A long set of windows stretches from the far left to the right, showing much of the beautiful village.

Overall the room is quiet, peaceful and not at all unappealing for a nap. But suddenly, a foot kicks in the door, blowing out the handles and driving the doors through the walls. The foot continues on to become a leg, which keeps on going past the door. This leg flies past Temari and forms a torso. Now the combo is hurtling at mach speeds towards the towers of paper. The entire body reveals itself now, as a blur of eye melting orange.

The entire thing carries itself to the papers. With the grace of a speeding arrow, all the papers are knocked aside, and the foot finds purchase in someone's snoring forehead. Suddenly something holds fast Naruto's foreword progress.

A hand holds fast Naruto's foot, green fingernails glinting like emeralds. As the air clears, a blonde mass of twin-pigtailed hair is seen lying on the desk. Attached to it is a neck stretching to a back covered in a green happi with the character for 'Gamble' in a red crest on the back. With the right arm still supporting Naruto, the torso lifts up. Such a wonder too, for the weight on the chest must be enough to break any other woman's back. These twins are held up by a white sleeveless summer top _modestly_ covering her assets.

She turns her face up to meet the shinobi's, revealing stunningly deep hazel eyes. Her face small yet round with angles at the cheeks and chin. And, thick blonde bangs cover the edges of her face. To complete it is a single blue dot on her forehead. A cute-and-beautiful face to be sure.

And one all of Konoha knows well.

It's on the Hokage Mountain after all.

But now, this wonderful mug is twisted into an insane mix of rage, murderous intent, and impatience.

The attack comes before Naruto can even react. By the time he realizes it, he's already unconscious. And headfirst into the ceiling.

"That ought to teach the brat to never be late to a personal meeting. I even said 'don't be late!' Shit, I bet he does this just to annoy me." Growls Tsunade.

Temari grins sleepily. "Maybe he's trying to get a mission. Y'know, get so annoying that you have to send him away."

How did they know . . . ?

"Well, he sure as hell can" Tsunade replies "but then he'll miss out on what we've got for him."

Both women sit in silence for a while, Naruto's body rocking back and forth from the ceiling.

Temari sits up and wiggles her back. "I can't make any promises on how much he'll learn and how long he will take to learn it. **Kage Bunshin no Justus**'s effects are ineffective when used with the more advanced styles of wind jutsus. Also, his chakra may be so immense that he may not be able to use jutsus that need a smaller amount of chakra. What I mean is, is that this new training may not wield many results."

"And what I'm saying is, is that I want him to go through with this, despite the chance of minimal results. Kakashi though, thinks that this will work." Tsunade replies whilst staring at Naruto's feet.

"About that, why isn't Kakashi teaching Naruto?"

"Because he would rather have a expert wind user teach Naruto than one who uses it in only two jutsus."

Temari looks to the side, then back up again. "While I appreciate the compliments, I'm not to confident in my abilities to tea-"

A crash resounds throughout the room as a large chunk of ceiling emancipates itself from the rest and falls to the floor. A body rolls around dazedly, groaning as it stands in the middle of a pile of plaster.

"Ugh, damn Baa-chan, ya didn't have to throw me through the roof. I would have been just fine with the yelling." Says Naruto as he stands straight as a drunken man.

Tsunade's right eye twitches as she lifts herself of the chair, head bowed. She approaches Naruto who grows exponentially smaller with each step she takes. Stopping in front of the shivering shinobi, Tsunade bends at her waist and looks into Naruto's eyes.

And let's loose the greatest barrage of curses Konoha has ever heard.

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**Wh-wh-what the shit was that?**

**I dunno. But I bet I know who is responsible for it.**

**Who?**

**Well, out with it man! Tell me, a'fore I he'xplode from my waiting!**

**Uaagghh . . .**

**. . . You're a moron.**

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Smirking, Tsunade stares down at a whimpering Naruto, who looks back at her with teary, soulful eyes. His hands are clasped in front of his chest and he stands in a crater, floorboards sticking out at crazy angles. Temari is somewhere in the remains of a bookcase.

In the next room over.

Tsunade stares at Naruto's heartbreaking face. Truly, she tries to resist, but she fails; the Hokage turns her back as a sign of concession. None can resist a sad Naruto.

The busty blonde leaves Naruto to sit at her strangely undamaged desk whilst muttering nonsense to herself. Taking her seat, both blondes wait until the third stumbles into the room.

Temari mutters low to herself "fucking shit-baggers crapping on'a fuckload a' piss-drinking ass-stabbers . . . " and all other sorts of colorful comments.

She slowly takes a seat on an unconscious Chunnin. Naruto remains standing. Tsunade looks from on to the other, asking a single question:

"All finished with the shenanigans?"

"Aye.", "Hai!"

"Good," says the Hokage "now we can get to business. Naruto, I will get right to the point. You will be receiving Fuuton training from Temari here."

Naruto leaps up ready to protest, but Tsunade halts him. "I already know what you are going to say. He was the one to suggest it."

"But why can't he teach me?"

Tsunade sighs. "He _can_ teach you, but Temari here can teach you a whole lot more."

"Yeah, I am, without hyperbole, one of the best Fuuton users in all of the shinobi countries." Temari adds.

"And Kakashi will be joining you later to help supervise along with Yamato."

Naruto looks up and asks "Yamato-sensei will be helping? I thought he had some ANBU some-such to do."

"Nope-"Tsunade shakes her head "he is taking time out of his schedule to continue his assistance."

Naruto nods, and the room is quiet for a few moments more. Presently, Temari speaks up. "You should know Naruto that the purpose of this training is not to teach you new jutsus, but to give you a deeper understanding of the nature of Wind."

"That sounds really corny."

"Shut up."

"Yes, please do."

"Anyway, if you are ready, we can head down to Training Field 43 and get started." Saying this, Temari leaves through the gaping hole that is the wall.

After waiting for a few moments, Naruto turns to Tsunade, his face rather serious. "Baa-chan, do you think that I might have time for more training? The Akatsuki is still moving around and Orochimaru and Sasuke have disappeared."

Tsunade looks up from her desk, a bottle of sake clutched tightly in her right hand. "That's the strange thing. The Akatsuki has dropped completely off the map. Jiraiya's information network can't even find them. And Orochimaru has started something; I've already sent two ANBU teams to investigate. He's not even trying to hide is he?" She mutters the last part to herself. Then the Hokage looks up at Naruto. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

The shinobi leaps up as if set aflame, and dashes out of the room. "Sorry Baa-chan gotta go see-ya!" And he's gone.

The Godaime sits awhile in her chair, the groans of the awakening Chuunins the only other sound besides Tsunade's slurps.

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**HRRRRMMMMM . . . WHY HAVE YOU NOT KEPT UP YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN?**

**I-I-I am sorry, but its just so hard! There are so many and I-I need more time!**

**GGGGAAAAAUUUUUUU . . . I SEE. IS IT REALLY ALL THAT DIFFICULT?**

**Yes! Yes it is. Their eyes are always on me, and between you and my other . . . projects, I just don't have the time to-**

**WHAAAAAAATTTT?! YOU HAVE BEEN PERFORMING OTHER DEEDS AND NOT THE ONES THAT WE AGREED UPON!**

**Bu-bu-but you said I could-**

**YOU COULD PERFORM THE ONES RELATED TO ME! NOT ON SOME FOOLISH DREAMS OF-**

**It is not foolish!**

**UUUUUOOOOOHHHHH . . . I APOLOGIZE. I SEEM TO HAVE OFFENDED YOU.**

**And I you. I shall follow our codes strictly from now on.**

**AND I HAVE OFFENDED YOU. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES. I SHALL BE SURE TO BE MORE LENIENT WITH OUR DEALS NEXT TIME.**

**Yes, my lord.**

**MY HUMBLE SERVANT. I MUST TAKE MY LEAVE NOW. THERE ARE MATTERS THAT REQUIRE MY ATTENTION.**

**Very well. And I shall resume the unsealing?**

**YES, AND THE **_**BRIDGE**_** RECONSTRUCTION.**

**Goodbye.**

**FARE THEE WELL.**

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Training Field 43 is the very image of prairie grasslands. Tall grassy knolls, long green stalks forming green springy beds. The slightest puffs of wind can make the whole area dance and sway in the light. Naruto admires the view as he stands on the tallest hill, the Konoha forest gradually building up behind him. A little ways way to his front is a large pool, feed by a stream meandering through the hills and up into a hole leading to an underground spring.

Naruto paces back and forth impatiently as he waits for Temari to show up. She had told him that she needed some last minute supplies and that it might take her a few minutes to gather them all.

Growing bored, the shinobi reaches into his nin-pack and pulls out a kunai to twirl between his fingers. As he does this he whistles a formless tune from far back in his memories. So lost in his thoughts is he that he does not even notice the Suna nin coming up from behind.

"Yo Naruto."

He jumps and spins to face the intruder, kunai drawn.

"Now now, no need to get combative. Though I probably should not have snuk up on you huh?" Says the blonde girl standing in front of him.

Naruto blushes and scratches the back of his head, saying "Nah its alright. I should have been aware of my surroundings."

"Yeah that's true. But you are on home turf, so there's no need to go all 'shinobi' on everyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto says as he stares out over the grasslands once more. Temari glances back at him, and then back forward.

Getting an idea, the kunoichi tells Naruto: "Alright Naruto, here's the first part of your training-"

At this Naruto's head swivels around.

"-and the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** isn't going to help you."

"Huh? What? Why?" Naruto asks pleadingly.

"We are going to do some meditation; that's why. And you can't speed up meditation."

The shinobi looks shocked at this. "M-m-meditation? I hate meditation! Its so boring having to sit in one spot and-"

"Do you want to learn Fuuton or not?" Temari asks dangerously.

"Yes. I'll be good." Both ninja sit down upon the grass, Temari's legs bent to the side and Naruto sits cross-legged.

"Good. Now, before we even attempt to manipulate the power of the winds, we must feel them."

"But my Rasenshuriken works fine, and I never did something like this to train for it."

"But imagine how strong you-and it- will be after this training."

Naruto immediately calms himself and closes his eyes.

"Now then, just breathe in and out. Be calm and find your peace. Continue to breathe, slowly . . . yes that's right. And keep your breath calm and steady."

For half an hour this continues, with Temari smacking Naruto every time he moves. Gradually though he gets the hang of it, and is soon matched evenly with the kunoichi. Now Temari shifts her position slightly so as to put her hands on her lap, and exhales deeply.

"Good. Now that we are sufficiently calmed we can begin to follow the Wind."

"How do we do-?"

"Hush."

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, we can now follow the Wind. This part is not difficult, but it is tedious. Now relax and we can begin." Both ninja relax themselves as the wind curls the grass around them, as if answering to their call.

"Let the Wind blow. Let her pass through you as if you were a blade of grass. Feel her swirling, dancing, and speaking. Her voice, her touch is quiet and soft. You may be tempted to strain your senses to find her. Do not. Move with Wind and follow her lead."

Naruto's face relaxes. He can feel the slight streams of air curling around him. Cool caresses opening his consciousness to the power around him.

"For now, that's all you can do. A single dance with the Wind is not enough. She only divulges her secrets to those who truly wish to understand her. If she loves you, she will speak to you. Her trust is founded on the respect and kindness you treat her with." At this Temari pauses. "But many ninja try to use her power at their own discretion. They have never heard her voice, nor have they ever danced with her. This is tantamount to rape. They use and abuse her without any thought to the source of their jutsus. But, like a rapist, the ninja can never hold the true power of the wind. If you can show that you wish to love her, then she will open herself to you. There you can behold the true abilities of a Fuuton user."

"But for now, she is shy. Dance with her and make her happy." So saying Temari stands. Naruto is still seated and amazingly, he doesn't move. His breathing remains calm and regular. His head and back are held straight and his eyes are closed in soft concentration.

The Suna kunoichi turns and walks back towards the forest, taking care to keep her footsteps light. It would be unwise to disturb Naruto now. She meets a rather perverted disturbance just a few yards from the forest, though.

He wears the standard Jounin outfit; black pants and black long-sleeve shirt. His feet are clad in the blue regulation tabi with his ankles and the area slightly above bare. On his hands are fingerless leather gloves with metal plates on the backs of each. He also wears the green Jounin vest with the red swirl on the back. In the pockets are numerous knick-knacks and little bits of nonsense. He has a facemask pulled up over his mouth and nose for no apparent reason. Lastly, is hair is silver and blown to the side as if he had a rather blustery day

The Copy-Cat nin of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi, glances up at Temari from the little orange book he's reading; _Icha Icha Tactics_. Just a single, lazy eye and a slight twist of the head.

"Where are you heading off to?" He asks.

"Right now this is all he can do. There is nothing else I can do except to check on him every once and a while. I'll check in on him at about every hour-and-a-half."

"I think I'll stay here and watch. Might see something interesting."

At this Temari nods her head and starts to walk away, until the Cyclops stops her again.

"Y'know, that's some interesting stuff you told him. I make the same mistakes that you talked about."

Temari looks at him suspiciously. "And I trust that you won't speak of what you've heard of here?"

"Maa maa! Of course I won't! Besides, it is too late in the game for me to make any use of that stuff anyway." He goes back to reading his book perverted literature.

"Hmph. Fine." She resumes her path to the forest.

"By the way Temari-san," Kakashi asks without looking up from his book "is it really true that Naruto can increase the power of the **Rasenshuriken** with this training?"

"It is possible. Or maybe he will be able to counter the backlash of using the attack. Or even find some new ability. It all depends on how these first few stages go." Now Temari starts into the forest, this time undisturbed.

Kakashi though, waits behind, his book tucked away and his full attention on Naruto. Thoughts flow through his head as he thinks about his best pupil and the uncertain future before him. But a twinge flows through his mind, and his breaks from his thoughts.

"Ahh thinking is so difficult! Too many unneeded thoughts when I have you, my precious." Grinning like a fool, Kakashi hugs his sex-book like a lover, muttering soft and sweet nothings to it.

The wind quietly stirs.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

S-flip-t, s-flop-t, s-flip-t

Goes the pink-haired girl's sandals. Her gloved hands swings easily at her side while her brown pouch-tied to her waist and facing forward-bounces with each step. Her tight black shorts go to just above the bottom of her pouch. On the girl's elbows are gray elbow pads. She wears a red sleeveless shirt with a tall collar and a zipper. A blue Hiate-ate holds up her pink hair, though two long bangs rebelliously cling to the sides of her face.

Haruno Sakura is this girl's name, the kunoichi of Team 7 and apprentice to the Godaime. And if today were any other day, she would either be sparing with Naruto, Kakashi and Sai, their third teammate, or she would be taking her lessons with Tsunade. But today, she wants to watch him train. Not to learn anything really, just to watch.

Of course to some this may sound strange, but to her it's a sign of her support. Just the thought of his longtime crush watching him can double Naruto's effort. And also, she wants to make sure that its really Naruto she's watching.

"He's gotten so strong, and I never got to see him do it." She whispers. But now she has the chance to show him that she's right behind him; the kind of support he missed on his training trip.

With her head bent down in thought, Sakura does not realize that she is already nearing Training Field 43. A few stray branches block her from exiting, which she promptly pushes aside. What she sees mildly surprises her. She only expects Naruto and Temari to be there, either fighting up, or shouting up, a storm.

Instead she sees Kakashi lying on the ground with his porno on his face and Naruto sitting some distance away, sitting. As she approaches the later, because the former is a disgusting pervert, Sakura notices that he is swaying from side to side slightly. His head swings every once in a while and his mouth opens just a crack. He seems to be speaking, but to whom she knows not.

What alarms her is that the grass around him is swirling, and his clothes look as if they were being spun about. His hair too swirls like the grass. All are actually moving rather calmly and the scene is seemingly harmless, but Sakura is not taking any chances. She's heard the stories of careless ninjas approaching one of their fellows during a 'seemingly harmless' meditation.

Taking deliberate and loud steps, she approaches the blonde. The wind suddenly picks up, pulsing as if in anger. A gust begins to blow against her. She gives a slight cry, which is enough to wake Naruto. He shakes his head as if awakening from a dream. When his eyes land on Sakura, his mind jumps to action and he leaps toward her. Just as he does this though, the wind sputters out.

Naruto does not notice, as he is too busy attending to Sakura. "Ano, Sakura-chan, are you hurt? What happened? Do you-" at this he stops and looks around "know what time it is?"

Sakura blinks. "Ummm . . . I'm fine, I don't know, and its about 6:30."

Naruto's eyes bug out. "WHHHAAATTT?! 6:30?! Then that means that I've been meditating for-"

"Around nine hours." Says the now awake Jounin.

This information surprises Sakura, who she knows to never be able to sit still for any amount of time. "Really? Naruto has been meditating for that long?"

Kakashi nods. "Oh yeah, he has. I nodded of somewhere in the middle, But Temari-san has been coming by periodically to check up on Naruto."

Speaking of the young shinobi; Naruto is in a bad way. He lies curled up on the ground with his hands over his stomach. Occasionally moans of pain and anguish would pour forth from his mouth. Sakura, worrying about his deathly state, kneels on the ground and shakes his shoulder. "Hey Naruto. What's that matter."

He rolls over and looks into her eyes. His sight is blank and empty, like his soul has winged away. "Must . . . have . . . fooooooooooooddddddd . . . "

The kunoichi sighs at his behavior while rising to her feet. "Alright Naruto, I'll go get you some Ichiraku's while you wait here for Temari-san. I'm sure she'll want to talk with you before you leave."

"Nah, lets go out to eat. I'm feeling a little hungry myself."

Sakura and Kakashi-who is only paying minor attention to these events- turn to look at the edge of the forest. More specifically, they turn to look at the top of the tree line. There, floating on her enormous fan is Temari. Gracefully she glides to them, slight updrafts keeping her aloft. Upon descent, Temari waves with a grin. Once she alights to the ground she dismounts her fan and approaches Naruto. "Well, now. Had a nice time dancing?"

Sakura looks at her with her eyes wide.

Naruto on the other hand, stares at her for a moment before answering with a grin. "It was pretty fun. It was difficult to get her to even look at me, and even then we did not do much. But I actually liked it."

"Now hold on," Sakura says, looking a little miffed "what are you talking about? I though you were training, not dancing." In her mind though, little rants of indignation run through her head about whom Naruto had danced with.

Temari smiles. "You know what? I'm really hungry, so lets go out and get something an I can explain what he was doing in a little more detail."

Sakura, satisfied with this answer, follows Temari into the forest while Naruto dashes away, screaming about Ichiraku's.

It takes Kakashi five minutes to realize that the others had left. It takes another ten before he follows them.

"I suppose I'm paying then."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

It is nearing the end of sunset by the time Sakura, Kakashi, and Temari finish eating their bowls of ramen. Naruto is still on his eighth.

The foursome is eating at Ichiraku's, a small ramen shop owned by the man whose name it bears. When it opened five years after the Kyuubi attack, Ichiraku Teuchi and his daughter Ayame had been refuges from a small village in stone country. When he had heard about the forced labor drafts for all civilians, Ichiraku had taken his daughter and fled to Konoha. The draft did not sound bad to some of the younger generation, but the older knew that it was, in essence, slave labor.

Adults perform jobs they are unskilled in, and any injuries that are incurred are treated, but by trainee medics. They did not receive pay; instead they receive a 'handsome' pension for their troubles. Children are also put to work in weapons manufacturing or manning defense stations. Families are sent to work in the same village, but they rarely get to see each other.

Of course, the Iwa leadership and culture retains the belief that everyone must work if everyone must survive. Neither does it have the same economic benefits that Konoha has. Since it is a far more militaristic society, only the ninja-oriented companies make any certain amount of profit. Therefore, the Iwa government has too little funds to spare in the way of civilian pay.

But when Ichiraku reached Konoha he had found a new start. He opened up his first true ramen shop with blessings by the Hokage, whom, along with a certain five-year-old blonde, were his first customers.

It took him three years to find out Naruto's secret, but by then, it did not matter. His favorite customer is still his favorite customer no matter what may be in his stomach. Though he is none too pleased that Ayame has taken to idolizing Naruto as of late. All that staring decreases her cooking efficiency after all.

"Hey Ojji-san! Give me another pork ramen!" Yells Naruto waving his chopsticks in the air. Teuchi grins as he prepares yet another bowl. The shop can be called more of a bar than anything else. It is composed of seven stools in front of a long bar. At the very left hand side of the bar is an opening leading into the kitchen, which is right behind the bar. The kitchen itself is small; two boilers, a stove, a refrigerator, and tall ingredient towers.

Both cooks wear a short-sleeved summer shirt with a white apron tied over it. Ayame's though as frills on the outer edges of the apron, as custom of young female waitresses. A thin grey rope winds across their hips. Lastly, both wear loose-legged pants.

The female of the duo is now gathering up the four shinobis' finished bowls, though she needs to make a second trip for Naruto. And Naruto is still barreling through his ninth bowl of his beloved Miso while Kakashi cries over his anorexic wallet and Temari and Sakura discuss Naruto's training.

"So what you're saying, is that anyone who has ever used elemental jutsu has used stolen power?" Asks Sakura.

"Basically yes. Other kinds of jutsu, like genjutsu, stem from the human soul. And all kenjutsu styles stem from the body."

"Wait, how is it that you know this, yet others do not?"

"I don't really know. I think its because no one knew how to truly contact the elements. And when early shinobi found that they could use jutsus from the elements, I guess they just forgot about the spirits. But the wind is remembered because its voice forever circles the world. Unlike fire it does not fade away without fuel, and unlike stone, its voice can never be taken and shaped into what humans' desire. I was taught that because of this, Fuuton users will never forget the voice of their benefactors."

Sakura sits, slumped over at the bar absorbing what she heard. Presently she speaks up. "Why did you refer to speaking with the Wind as dancing? And as a woman?"

At this Temari smiles. "Dancing with the Wind is the same as speaking with her. She finds out everything about a person from the way they dance. And I say she is a woman because she **feels** like a woman. Her spirit is feminine and graceful. She prefers grace and softness in her partners; something almost all women have."

"Let me guess; most Fuuton users are women?"

Now Temari grins. "Not most. All. As far as I know, there are only two women in the entire world that can dance with the Wind. Kimiyoko Tsuroki, my Fuuton-sensei, and I are those two. Naruto is the first man in shinobi history to ever get close to the Wind."

"Are you serious?!" Sakura asks, shocked. "The only one?!"

"Yep. I'm surprised too, but she must find something attractive in him if she takes to him so quickly. In fact, it took me three days just to get her to notice me."

"Uggh, more questions. First, what about that Kunoichi who used wind swords to defeat you? Second, why would the Wind take to him so quickly? Third, if it took you such a short time to get her to see you, why could no one else do the same thing?

Naruto bursts out shouting obscenities when his bowl of hot ramen spills in his lap due to Ayame's distracted staring at said shinobi. Both kunoichi ignore the racket, though Sakura's hand twitches when Ayame tries to dry Naruto's crotch.

With her bare hands.

Coincidentally, Teuchi's hand, which now grasps a knife, stabs through the kitchen wall due to too much force applied.

All the while, Kakashi rifles through his Jounin jacket looking for his auxiliary wallet.

Temari returns to her current subject. "That girl may have been stronger than me at the time, but she was approaching the limit of her abilities. It would have been two or three years before she could no longer grow any stronger. That is the consequence of taking the power of an element that still has its spirit."

"But-"continues Temari "for someone like me, who is in touch with the Wind, limits are not a problem. Whereas she would one day hit a wall, I will keep on growing."

"For your second question, she usually finds lovers in her partners. Not physical ones; spiritual ones. But later one it becomes physical and it is up to Naruto to figure out what to do. I am not allowed to help him."

"Wait, so Naruto might have to sleep with her?" Sakura asks worriedly.

"Maybe. Most likely, since she would probably like his inhuman stamina."

Sakura 'hmmms' quietly as she rests her head in her crossed arms. Temari watches her for a minute before continuing. "To answer your third question, the Wind will only come to a person if another who already has a relationship with her calls her there. When the first kunoichi danced with the Wind, it was easy to find her. The world was far more fertile and lively back then after all. But as ages passed, life was sucked out of the planet, weakening the Wind's ability to find her callers. Little time passed before she completely lost the ability to find new partners. Now a sensei must call for her when there is a potential partner. I did the same thing for Naruto in the morning."

As she speaks, small dust devils spin by, and Naruto's and Temari's clothes ruffle as if blown by the wind. Naruto, who is in the process of cleaning out his last bowl, stops and looks around. His expression is of a person who thought they heard another call their name. But it passes, and he is back to sticking his face in the bowl. The Suna kunoichi sits still and continues to listen, her face growing serious. Sakura pays no heed, choosing instead to lean across her to speak with Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto? Can you walk me home? I want to talk with you."

Naruto perks up at her suggestion, and immediately tosses his unfinished ramen. He grabs her hand and leaves off in the direction of the Haruno home. Behind them they leave a concentrating Temari and the now comatose Kakashi.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

A dark moon watches behind thin clouds as the two ninja walk down an empty street. A park lies to their left and rows of houses built to move with the trees on the right. At regular intervals the silent duo walks under a pale dome of light, radiated by the streetlights with vines climbing their poles. The dirt road coughs quietly as their feet touch it.

Sakura glances over at Naruto, knowing that she should say something. Her house is just around the corner after all. "Naruto?" She asks.

He turns to look at her. "Hmmm? What is it Sakura-chan?"

She bites her lower lip for a moment. "You've gotten really strong Naruto. I'm proud of you."

"Hoooo!" Shouts Naruto, full of joy. "Thanks Sakura-chan! That means a lot coming from you!"

Sakura smiles, not caring about his volume. "And, I may not show it, but I am grateful for everything you have done for me." Now she stops walking, Naruto turning to face her after a few steps. "I have always thought you were strong. Even when we were just starting out I thought you were great. It's just . . . you never acted like someone at your level would. Maybe if you had been a little more mature I would have noticed you."

"But now you've gotten so strong, and yet you still act like a knuckle-head. I wondered, what gave you the motivation to work so hard?"

Naruto puts his hands behind his head and smiles. "I train because I want to protect you Sakura-chan." He looks to her left slightly. "And to bring Sasuke back."

She smiles softly. "And I trained because I wanted to bring Sasuke back. I wanted to prove that I could be a great kunoichi when even though I started with nothing. Most of all though, I did not want to be protected. It hurt so much to see you throw yourself into harms way just to make me smile; to keep me safe."

Naruto opens his mouth to speak, but she continues. "But lately I think I have found something that gives me the strength to go even farther. Something similar to what you have Naruto."

At this she steps closer to him, placing her hand on his cheek. "I want to protect you Naruto. I want to return those feelings you have given me for so long, and that I stupidly ignored. I want to prove to you that we can protect each other; you should not have to do it alone."

Now she steps back and looks resolutely at Naruto. "And, I want to prove to Sasuke that we are strong. He always believes that he is above you, and I am just an obstacle in his way. But if I show him that I am stronger, he will see that he made the wrong choice. He turned his back on us, and when he looks back, he won't see us. We'll be ahead of him. He will feel what it's like to be the dobe. But, I don't care what he thinks about me. What I want . . . what I want is for him to finally acknowledge you through me. Because . . . he and I know that I am weaker than you. That's why, when we meet Sasuke again, I want you to let me fight him."

Naruto steps back, gaping. "S-S-Sakura-chan?"

"Even if you say no Naruto, I will still do it. I don't just want to prove my worth to you; I want to show it to you."

Naruto stares at her, eyes wide, before a sad smile crosses his face; his eyes are blank and far off. "Alright Sakura-chan. I can never say no to you."

Sakura smiles and steps forward to grab his arm. "Thanks Naruto. Now that that's settled, let's get going back to my house. I think my mom might have some _dessert_ for you." She says enticingly.

Naruto, mood shifting wildly at the thought of creamy frozen treats picks her up bridal style and dashes off, Sakura's laughing hanging on the wind.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

They make hardly a sound, these cloaked mysteries. The night hides them and their intent. With silent steps they sail through the air, lightly touch a tree branch, and off they wing themselves. The air does not even mutter a sound, so quiet are these strangers.

As they leap from tree to tree they ascend. The ground sloping upwards forces their next landing to be higher than the last. The mountains they climb stretch on for miles north to south. The earth is hidden by lush flora and soft loam and dirt.

The Unknown turn their procession to towards the peak and climb it by their fanciful hops. Only a few minutes pass before they reach the peak. It is a small clearing shaped as if a portion of the mountain had slipped away. Small bits of vegetation and some smaller trees ring the area. It is only about an hour past midnight and the sky is clear, so they easily spot the place.

In the forest it was impossible to tell how many had been bouncing around. But under the moonlight, their numbers and further details are revealed. Nine cloaked figures stand in the clearing, each wearing an identical black hooded cloak. Also, each has a facemask sporting different designs of animal faces.

Two of the nine break away and move into the forest, presumably to gather supplies. The rest set about at making a base camp. Each person sets up a single sleeping bag with some rations packed for them. Three of the group move into the forest, this time far more alert and combat-ready than the two who had left previously. What's noticeable about the preparations is that there is no fire set up. They all follow the basic rule for ninjas when on a high-priority mission: never use fire unless absolutely needed.

As they pull off their cloaks and sit down upon their sleeping bags, they pull out identical scrolls from their packs.

All wear identical shinobi wear, even the three females. The standard Jounin jackets adorn their chests, but are colored pitch black. Their arms are bare save for the long armored gauntlets and metal bands around their forearm and bicep. They wear black pants with black tabi on their feet. Nin-packs and extra-large pouches adorn their hips and legs, respectively. A katana is sheathed on their backs.

These nine ninjas are no ordinary ninjas. They are ANBU, the best of the best. Highly secretive and rarely seen by the public, they are the ultimate embodiment of shinobi. Without a word each opens his or her scroll and reads through it. They take their time, and soon enough the rest of the absent members stroll in, their collection and security duties finished.

All nine sit in a circle, silently reading. Several minutes later as if on cue, they all look up. The ANBU with a hawk facemask stands up and speaks in hushed tones. "You have all read the mission scrolls correct? Good. I do not need to remind you that we have no idea who or what we may find. That is why we must get in and out of there quickly. Kill no one, and do not incapacitate them if you can help it. Take pictures of everything you find, and if you deem it necessary, take or destroy it. Stay in your teams and communicate only by hand signals. If any resistance is encountered and an alarm is raised, no one escapes alive. Kill with extreme persecution. And when we make our escape, drop all of your explosive seals. Just one person's load is enough to level several buildings. And lastly, I do not need to remind you that this is one of Orochimaru's largest laboratories. There may be things left over, and I do not want any surprises because people were careless."

After saying this, the ANBU points at a female and male ANBU. "Ermine, Perch, you two take first watch." Now he addresses the whole group. "Tomorrow at 0500 hours we begin surveillance. Mouse, your squad will monitor the transport trains from the southern range. Keep notes on everything you see. Pike, take a position above the target and monitor from several different angles. My squad will watch the entrances from the east and south woods. At 0115 hours we will infiltrate the target from the south entrance unless a problem arises. Further details will be issued at 0030 hours."

Finally he finishes speaking, and the rest open their bed rolls and slip inside, as the two watchpersons sneak away into the night.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Once again the night is dark. Clouds cover the sky, hiding the moon from earth-bound eyes.

The valley is small; only two small passages lead into this area. The east path winds its way around low mountain ranges and often becomes an overhang. It is a beaten path though, so travelers can easily guide a cart through it without running into any trees. The southern passage is straighter, but cuts through the thicker forests on the valley floor. Also, the mountains peaks above it are weak and unbalanced. A slight disturbance could bring it down.

Aside from the paths themselves, the valley is a veritable fortress. The cliff sides are sheer and smooth. If anyone were to climb down them, they would make slow progress; defenders could easily shoot them down from a distance. The forests are so thick that only ANBU-level ninjas could disable moderately damaging traps. The forest also grows about two-hundred meters in and then turns into thick grass. Any ninja that survive the forest will have to deal with the long grass, which is almost like molasses to the swift shinobi. And if they were to take the paths up to the enemy, the defenders could hold off the aggressors with only a few men at the head of the path.

It is a rather impressive place to say the least.

But to the ANBU hiding on the cliffs and forests, the valley itself is of little significance. What they are focused on, is the building carved into the cliff; the center of the valley.

It protrudes out of the rock by about thirty meters with the grass coming within seventy meters. The southern path leads out of the grass and enters straight through a large gate. A bit to the right is a smaller entrance for the east path, likely an exit for shinobi. The building itself has a single wall that runs from the cliff and has a face about one hundred meters long and ten meters deep.

The ANBU team led by Pike now lies above the target, all three with binoculars held to their faces. Since midday there has been little activity. But when the transport train came, groups of Oto Chunnin and Jounin came running out carrying boxes and objects covered with sheets. Once the train was filled they all filed back into the lab, carrying with them anything left over from their frantic loading.

They did not learn much except that there is no Oto ANBU present, and that the train itself is protected by only a small group of Chunnin.

Over at Mouse's group, much progress has been made. His two teammates, Swan and Ermine, had both snuck into the train and taken/recorded everything there while Mouse kept a close watch. After that, they had followed the Train until it left the forest. There it came to a crossroads; one half broke away and went west, while the other half kept going south.

Last is Hawk's group, who is currently packing up their efficiently small supply of gear. They kept a close eye on the entrances, and found that they are suspiciously unprotected. For the east entrance, a single Jounin stands guard, a nin-cloth covering his vigil next to the door. The south has only two Jounin patrolling the wall. They have seen enough.

They send out a signal, a quiet tweet like that of a local bird, and leap through the treetops back to home base.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

It is night yet again, and the nine ANBU now stand at the eastern tree line closest to the east entrance. Hawk motions for Mouse and an ANBU under his own command, Horned Beetle, to move towards the small door. Both ANBU move low to the ground, cloaks turned inside out to the light inner lining. They duck, dive and weave through the grass, their movements parting the grass in time with the wind. After fifteen minutes they reach the end of the grass, and the edge of the path curving towards the cliff and going over a slight incline towards the gate. The two halt as Horned Beetle pulls out a fourteen inch pipe. Quietly he pulls out a feathered dart and slips it backwards into the front of the pipe. Next, he places the thicker end of the pipe to his lips and takes a breath. Mouse grabs a stone from the ground and throws it at the feet of the bulge in the rock face near the door. It barely wiggles, but the movement is enough for Horned Beetle.

A slight puff and the entire group is dashing to the cliff. Mouse grabs the formerly hidden guard just before he hits the ground. An ANBU serving Pike named Perch steps forward and grabs the body, light breath issuing from the man's mouth. Ermine helps her wrap the body in a lightly colored cloth. Then an ANBU under Hawk, Barn Owl, makes a few handseals:

"**Doton: Doryo Dango**."

He quietly digs down, keeping the range and volume of his excavated dirt minimal. Next, all three bury the shinobi inside, keeping his head above ground and covered with a heavy cloth that permits breathing but not sound.

Hawk, after making sure everyone is present, forms a string of six handseals.

"**Red Finger of the Lock-Crusher**."

His gloved right index finger glows crimson underneath the black material. Hawk holds his finger up to the inner edge of the doorway, where the door meets the rock. Starting from the far left he drags his finger along this edge. When ever he hits an obstruction that is not wood, he would stop then slowly move over it, until a small pop is heard and resumes his task. It goes on like this all the way around the door up to where he began. Another small pop is heard, and the door begins to fall inward. Perch calmly reaches forward to grab its edge and Horned Beetle grabs its top.

Grasping the rock with both hands, Hawk lifts up his body perpendicular to the ground, then plants his feet on the earthen ceiling. Crawling to the right, he gets behind the door and slowly lets it down. Now there is enough space for the rest to pass through on the ceiling. In about seven seconds all but one are inside the lab, Swan staying outside to keep watch. Pike and Mouse's teams - with Mouse down a man - nod to the rest and run with feather feet down the darkened corridor.

Hawk lifts the door back up into place, the as of yet inactive Armadillo steps forward to help push the door flush against the stone frame. Swan gives a last unseen nod before he takes the cloth the Oto guard was using and pulls it over himself. Hawk looks to Armadillo and Perch, and then all three are gone in a blast of speed.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The stone walls are rough but even, shades of grey dancing with the shadows cast by the torches haphazardly set into the walls. Stalagmites that were once tall and wide now cut and shaved into little stumps. The lights are gone, along with any power supplied by the generator. The team of Pike, Horned Beetle and Barn Owl walk with light steps. After three minutes of running they had found the supply network. Little pockets of food or weapons not yet emptied pop up sporadically along these routes, and the team is ready to document everything, no matter how trivial.

All of the ANBU are equipped with special cameras that give of a flash with a wavelength high enough to light up the subject and low enough to evade detection . . .

For the most part.

Also, each person has six scrolls, a pair for three different weight settings that are dependant on the amount of Chakra the user has.

For ten minuets the group walks without any findings. At certain junctions they would chose the most walked path, but soon they were randomly choosing. This was a bad situation. Pike knows that she can find her way back, but getting in an ambush now could get them dangerously lost.

It comes as a relief then when Barn Owl sees a T-intersection up ahead, and pulls the others along at a slightly faster pace. As they grow closer they see that the corridors to the right and left are labeled with a sign declaring their names:

"Left: Post-monitoring and observation."

"Right: -Classified-."

The right hand part of the sign has a large red stamp with the characters for "Empty" handwritten onto it. The left hand corridor though, has a wall of dark grey rock with a door set into it. A triangular sign with the characters "Clearance: Secret" hangs on the door and a square sign reading "Identification Required" hangs below it. A covered slat in between the two was probably used for identification. All three look at each other before Horned Beetle places his hand against the blockade.

He feels a single, calm pulse.

Without looking up he holds up a single finger and searches for the person's location. Catching it, he looks up at Pike. Holding up three fingers, he then motions with the tips to a spot on the dull, hard wall. Forming five handseals Horned Beetle places his index finger at the same spot his other three were at.

"**Secret Earthen Art: The Child's Spinning Rock Cutter**."

He circles his finger on the stone, spiraling out until he makes a hole six inches in diameter. If he made the hole any larger, the guard only three metes away would be woken up.

Next, Pike steps in front of the hole and makes forms a string of six handseals:

"**Deeper Sleep of the Hibernating Bear**."

A flash of blue light and the snoozing Chunnin slumps further into his seat. Barn Owl places his hand against the door and pushes it open. Not surprisingly it is unlocked. No one expects to have Konoha ANBU patrolling their secret hideouts.

Barn Owl is the first to step through, followed by Pike and then Horned Beetle. This new area is rather different from the last. The floor and walls are much smoother; the torches are closer together too, brightening up the place. The stone is lighter, its contrast with the shadows nearly drowning them out. They walk only thirty meters before they turn left at a corner, and meet quite a sight.

They are in a corridor at least three times larger than the last, and that's on account of the closed doors. Computers, offline because of the cut power, are set into the walls next to each door. There are five doors on each side with a door at the end of the each row. A red cross on them indicates that they are for first aid or others sorts of care. One final door lies beyond this set, though its darkened demeanor and battered surface is rather put-off-ish. All this they take quick pictures of.

Pike, deciding to hold off on inspecting that door, hand signals to Horned Beetle and Barn Owl to check the rooms for life signs. Knowing that the computers may not have been wiped clean yet, pulls out a kunai and digs through the rock to free the computers.

She gets about three out before Barn Owl finds a weak pulse behind the last door in his row. He signals for Pike, who signals Horned Beetle to resume salvaging the computers when he is done searching.

She approaches Barn Owl, who has his right hand on the knob of the door. Pike arms herself with her katana, ready for a surprise attack. Barn Owl pushes the door, but stumbles when he realizes that it weighs as much as he does. Pike, knowing that she would be a little more vulnerable, puts her back against the door and braces her leg against the rocky doorframe. With a heave she and her subordinate get the door open. Pike spins as she kicks off, katana coming down onto the head of the potential enemy.

What she finds makes her step back just a bit.

"Wh-what are you?"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Shuffle shuffle.

Click s-nap.

Mouse sets his camera for a new shot, the nest set of documents ready for recording. Ermine is behind him, sealing into container scrolls the three file binders and ten boxes of suspicious looking tidbits they found in this room.

The 'three-man-down-a-guy' team got lucky. After five minutes of searching they had finally found a corridor to investigate. Unfortunately, there were thirty doors and all were rooms that either had office furniture but no information, or they had useless and trite files that had to be documented as per mission statements. But just as they were about to move on ahead, since they only have a limited time frame, the two found this room.

It is about fifteen meters deep and eighteen tall, the stone smoother and straighter in here than outside. Three identical desks sit in a triangular position; two facing one. File cabinets stand against the back wall and tables with bits of nonsense stand against the side walls.

Ermine picks up a little stone block from the pile she had gathered. This piece was found in a glass container on one of the desks. Paper seals which the two ANBUs removed lay around it. The material of the block is a dark, almost red stone. It is brittle at its carved edges, yet strong and dense towards the center. One side has a most curious design on it. Inscribed in faded red ink is a symbol that resembles Japanese, yet something is off. The strokes are hard and vicious, as if the writer was trying to savagely cut open a person. The strokes are also curved, a single pattern not evident, but it is as if it was written in sections. Not wanting to waste any time, she seals the block into the scroll and continues to her task.

Mouse riffles through the files and tosses a bunch over to Ermine. Out of all the files, only a few were noteworthy. Some were about experiments involving the Chakra systems of humans and animals, and some were about the shinobi combat methods.

One that catches his eye though bears the label "Grand Bridge Development Status." And despite the fact that nothing could be read in detail, he was able to catch mentions of "reasonable trade", "fell apart", "crushed by . . . overloaded", and other such snippets. These kinds of finds he takes a snapshot of before moving onto the next group of papers.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Hawk wipes his hand along the wall. Something is here, he can feel it. There is a room behind the wall and the door is hidden.

Perch looks out from the room he's in after deeming it empty. Armadillo takes some pictures of the dead end corridor they are in. This area is rather desolate; the only signs of human traffic lie in the path into the room Perch is making himself useless in. But the tracks leading past that room made Hawk suspicious, which is why he is now poking and prodding the stone wall.

An errant poke hits home, and a low rumbling is heard. All three stand, hands on their katanas. Farther up, near the dead end, a two an a half feet wide section of wall sinks in and slides away. Cautiously the team approaches the new dark opening. Hawk, wanting to remain safe, motions for Perch to remain outside, and the two go in.

It is a scant few steps hidden in darkness that they must navigate, the frightful memories of Orochimaru' s presence makes every shadow a hideous slithering snake. But hier walk is short, and they come to a door. Unlike the rest of the doors though, this one is grotesque. It is rippled and folded like old human flesh, small carvings of human faces crying out against the purple door. Even little stitches stand out in the waning light the torch Armadillo lights next to the door. The knob too is disgusting, enough so that Hawk wraps his hand in his cloak before touching it. Just as he does, it opens up and a single crusty eye looks out. The ANBU jump back, losing their composure for but a moment.

The eye looks up at them, who once again reach for their katanas. As if in exasperation, the eye closes and a click is heard. Then the door swings open of its own accord.

With their hands on their katanas the two shinobi step into the room.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Pike stares down at the person in front of her, a bit of pity crawling past her eyes. A young woman, seventeen or eighteen, sits in left corner of the room with her knees folded up under her crossed arms. A long mane of dirty and mangy brown hair covers her bent over head.

Her feet are covered in thin and scraggly fur, a mix of brown and black, and her toenails like claws. Along her legs is a patch of fur leading up to her thighs. Her only visible hand, her left, is also covered in fur like her feet with nails extending about two and a half centimeters. Another patch of fur runs from her hand along her arm and to her shoulder. The girl's entire body is covered by a grimy, ratty smock that smells indescribably repugnant. Lastly, two ears, similar to those of a fox or cat, sit upon her head.

What is shocking about the girls is not her fur, but her state of health. Bones show through on her paper thin skin and her skin is as white as snow. Not even a splotch of red in her system. Pike steps forward to place her hand on the girl's shoulder. Shaking her slightly, Pike speaks low, slow and steady.

"Miss, are you alright? Can you stand?"

With infinite slowness the decrepit girls turns her head to look up. Her face is like the rest of her body. Sunken cheeks and eyes stand out alarmingly. The skin is as tight as that on a drum. Matted fur grows from her cheekbones and her forehead. Two fangs stick down from her upper lip. Brown eyes stare distantly at Pike, barely registering her presence. Her tongue rubs along the upper row of her teeth as dry wheezes putter out of her throat.

Pike understands immediately. Reaching to her pouch the ANBU pulls out a canteen and unscrews the cap. Reaching for the back of the girl's head Pike tips the edge of the canteen over the girl's lips. At the same time Horned Beetle is ripping his cloak into strips. Little drips of water slide down her throat and quench the girl's thirst. Pike is careful not to pour too much, or she might get sick. A little bit more is poured before the girl seems satisfied. Pike recaps the canteen and repeats her earlier question.

"Can you tell me your name?"

No response.

Pike motions for Horned Beetle to step forward. Turning around, Pike puts her back against the girl, who slowly wraps her arms around the ANBU's neck; it is as if they were made of lead. The ANBU under her command steps forward and uses the strips of cloth to bind the girl's hands, her waist to Pike's, and her legs and ankles over Pike. Satisfied that their new ward is safe and secure Pike steps through the door.

". . . alarm . . ." Too late does the girl speak up.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Hawk gulps as he stares at . . . whatever the hell he's looking at. The room is perfectly square; twenty meters each side. Smoother than ice and colder, as if the heat from the humans present was nothing compared to the oppressive chill.

An enormous seal is drawn onto every surface of the room, even the door. Swirls and spins and lines and curves bending away into eternity. Characters appear once and breakdown and away, only to reappear somewhere else. Logic is banished from these seals, only pure chaos with a purpose remains. Twisting in on itself and righting its own existence through the use of nothing and everything in a tangible tango that starts it all over again. Rambling on about nonsense and strange pips and pops, it is enough to make someone attribute the work to an insane man trying to mimic the work of an insane mimic trying to mimic himself.

In short: it gave the ANBU a headache. But it had to be recorded.

Armadillo takes her final shot with her camera and tucks it away. She pulls out a notepad and begins writing furiously, noting everything about the room. Something draws Hawks attention though, and he walks to it in a trance. At the far side of the room is a large hurricane of a seal. In the center are two characters that give him such a deep foreboding that he completely misses something even more foreboding.

WAAAUUUUUUAAAAA! BBBUUUUUOOOOOOHHHHH! INTRUDER ALERT!

INTRUDER ALERT! ALL SHINOBI ACTIVATE TRACKERS! ALL SHINOBI ACTIVATE TRACKERS!

Armadillo leaps up and grabs Hawks arm, dragging him out of the room. But as he flees through the door, he gets one last look at what was worrying him.

The characters "Ma" and "Kai."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Mouse looks back at Ermine.

Ermine looks up at Mouse.

Both look at the Oto Chunnin ahead.

Mouse leaps forward, his katana whipping out and clashing on an inside swing with the ninja's kunai. Mouse swiftly drops down, his katana still locked with the kunai. Ermine runs along Mouse's back, bring her katana down in a vertical slice. The force of it carries her through the enemy ninja and spinning down the corridor. Mouse follows, stepping over the now-two-shinobi.

As he the two run, they let fall clumps of high-powered demolitions seals. All set on a ninety second timer.

Mouse affords himself a small grin. The exit is just ahead and that was the only enemy the have met so far. Maybe they might get away Scott free?

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Pike runs doggedly, the awkwardness of balancing a passenger while running at her speed sending her careening across the rocky halls. Horned Beetle is running point, katana drawn and taking no prisoners. In back is Barn Owl, showering their route with the same seals as Mouse's.

Two Jounin step into the team's path.

Horned Beetle grips his katana and runs along the wall, holding the weapon behind his back. Just as the two foes prepare to strike with their shuriken, he disappears. Not even a second later is blade is through one man's throat, and his foot crushing the face of the other into the sharp wall. This hardly stops him from moving though, as he is already ahead of the team, and winging his way towards the exit.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Hawk smiles grimly.

He has met the most resistance, and is enjoying the run. Every time a foolish shinobi steps into his path, he either disarms them, letting Perch behead them, or he just pierces his way through the bunch.

Armadillo throws out handfuls of seals, and Perch is gamely fingering his special weapon.

"You best wait 'till we are outside to use that." Hawk says in his raspy hoarse voice.

Perch grins and replies with youth and gusto. "Hey no worries, I know how and when to use this. He-he-heee."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Swan watches impassively as the large group as Oto nin assemble in front of the east exit. They relied on their trackers to find the ANBU, so none of them even realize that Swan is standing right in front of them, hidden by his cloth.

Gradually he hears footsteps approaching and the ninja hiding above the exit ready themselves. Just as he senses that they are a few meters away he throws four smoke bombs. At the same time he spins and throws explosive kunai up at the enemies above him. The gas covers the area as the door splinters out, and the ANBU are out in the open sun. Oto nins above miss their mark because of the kunai, which go off right as the last person, Armadillo, exits.

Fire rips out the cliff side, mangled bodies and rock flying out, further confusing the foe. The ANBU though are prepared, drawing their weapons for battle.

Hawk spins, cutting off the legs of two Chunnin. Righting himself, he stabs down on one of the downed men while kicking another who had jumped at him. Then he flips backwards, stabbing the head of the man he just kicked and bringing his heel into the previously injured Chunnin's neck. With a crunch he brings his sword down to deflect a Jounin's thrust, and uses a shuriken to cut open the man's arm. Then Hawk rolls with the thrust, blood squirting like a faucet from the slit artery and cuts into the back of the ninja's head, blood pouring out and bits of brain slide out with the blade. The shuriken is then speedily deposited into the nearest Chunnin's eye.

Armadillo grabs her attackers left wrist with her thumb and index finger. Yanking him to the side she slams a hard right hook into his face. Bone shifts and snaps as her studded gloves dig into his skin. Blood bursts out from his mouth and eyes, the nose crushed so much that nothing could pass through it. She hears a whirling sound and bends backwards, dodging the bolas flying through the air.

Her hand zips down and grabs a kunai from her pouch. Using her right foot she pushes off the ground, twirling through the air as she throws the kunai. A steel wire attached to it spins with her, wrapping around the necks of several Chunnin. With a slight twist of the wrist all lose their heads. Sensing the flow of Chakra behind her, Armadillo grabs the edge of her cloak and twirls it. An incoming fireball hits the dark side of the cloak; Armadillo spins it around her body, around her arms, and then flicks it towards her attacker. He would move to dodge the coat, but the ANBU jumps forward, her katana piercing the cloak and the Chunnin's stomach.

Horned Beetle weaves out of his aggressors' attacks, their fists and feet hitting everything except the ANBU. Tilting to the side he grabs one ninja's arm and slides behind him. Pulling back his fist, Horned Beetle punches forward, snapping the Chunnin's arm forward at the elbow. The sound of shredding tendons and splintering bones is heard. Before the shinobi has a chance to scream, the elbow is punched upward, downward, and backwards. The other Chunnin watches horrified as his partner slumps to the ground. Then Horned Beetle punches forward into the ninja's stomach, and crushes the man's skull with both fists by slamming his clenched fists together. Blood and bits of grey matter squirt out the nose and ears.

A Jounin bursts up from the ground, a kunai aimed for the ANBU's heart. A Chunnin appears from the smoke, two kunai held in his hands. Thinking quickly Horned Beetle grabs the wrist of the Jounin and pulls him up from the ground. The Chunnin can not change his path, and ends up stabbing his fellow shinobi through the back. As a small gasp passes through the dying man's throat, Horned Beetle stabs an explosive kunai in his face, and tosses the two into a group of three Chunnins. The explosion blows the Jounin's head apart, and blasts off the limbs and torsos of the four below him. Bloody fire flares out as severed limbs splatter onto the ground.

Swan keeps himself low to the ground, bladed knucle dusters on his hands. Two male Jounin approach him, but his grey cloak keeps him hidden. Swan dashes forward and punches his fists into the men's necks, blood leaking from exposed arterys. A Jounin with a katana leaps through the air, his image wavering. A genjutsu meant to annoy the victim for a split second, enough time for the user to make his kill. Swan is not fooled though. He brings his dusters up and blocks the attack in the air, and swings up his left arm, half of his attackers face falling to the ground. The part still attached to the body falls a second later, tongue rolling grotesquely out of the mouth as it does.

Ermine stands back to back with Mouse surrounded by ten shinobi. Each of their foes brandishes a kunai or two, though one is rolling out some wire. Ermine nods to Mouse, and forms a set of seven handseals.

"**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu**!"

At first nothing happens and the foes take a few steps forward. Suddenly the earth around them splits and cracks, water rushing up to form twelve bodies. Just as the earth cracks Mouse pulls out a short rod. Squeezing it, the rod extends to around ten meters, a wicked spiked and bladed metal head at the top. Once the clones form, each draws a katana, the real Ermine stepping in as the thirteenth person in the wall of Ermines. The foes watch warily, until one charges in, the rest following. Mouse leaps up, lance held ready. One Chunnin clashes with a clone, but the clones to the left and right cut off his arms. His mouth opens to scream but Mouse's spear bursts out the back of his throat. Just as he yanks his weapon free Mouse sees a Jounin about to throw a shuriken at a clone already dealing with two Chunnin. Leaping from the ground, Mouse leans forward in the air, spear humming until it stabs its self in the Jounin's heart, blood, skin and bits of bone hugging the perilous killing head.

Barn Owl stands in front of Pike with the girl still strapped to her back. From the smoke come two Chunnin who advance menacingly towards Barn Owl, confident that they can defeat an unarmed man and a burdened woman. He looks between the two and stands in an easy stance. Without warning he spins his shoulder down to the ground, cloak flying off as he does. The shuriken stop on the fabric which continues spinning until Barn Owl is seen again, rotating through the air. His arm comes around and lets fly two kunai, finding themselves a nice home in the two Oto nin's heads.

Perch grins, his hand straying to the item he had been hiding since the mission started. A ball of fire and lightning arc towards him, the casters grinning at their easy kill. But a crack sounds, and both attacks are extinguished. The shinobi stare at the ANBU, unsure of what happened. Then it becomes apparent what Perch did. A long black whip is held in his hands, coiled slightly at his wrist before unwinding on the ground. What makes it all the more impressive is that the tip of the whip has a knife affixed to it. Quick as a flash he spins, the blade humming through the air as it cuts out the eyes of one man, visceral fluid and blood leaking from his hands. The other just barely dodges; something Perch doesn't like. Reeling back, Perch snaps forward. The Jounin is prepared, and jumps, only realizing too late what was going to happen. The blade slams against the ground, slicing up towards the nin, and a big snap from Perch sends the weapon through the shinobi's crotch and through his bladder. As the ANBU yanks out the whip, it swings behind him, slitting the throat of the Chunnin behind him.

By now the field is clear, blood and bits of gore laying here and there. Hawk looks up from the last kill, a Jounin with a shuriken in his eye. Hawk pulls the weapon free with the sound of bone snapping. "Everyone clear and accounted for?" He asks.

Replies of "Okay" and "Uninjured" return. Pike adjusts her passenger, whom Mouse inquires about.

"Got a bit of ev'dence to show, eh?"

Pike growls. "Shove off Mouse. This girl needs medical attention now. Severe malnutrition and dehydration."

All three teams look at each other before Hawk sighs. "Well, I guess we can call this mission officially accomplished."

"Can we blow the damn thing up now?"

Hawk stares at the lab for a moment, still thinking of the room with the seals. Snapping back to reality, he turns to the questioner. "Yes. Yes we can."

With that, all nine race away. And behind them, the entire valley collapses in a fiery hell of flames and smoke. The noise and roar of the detonations drowned out by the cliffs' deterioration, covering any trace of Orochimaru's twisted laboratories.

**END OF PROLOUGE!**

So . . . what did y'all think?

Love it? Like it? Hate it? Drop me a review and tell me!

But no flames damn it!

Arballisk is out, gone and away.


	2. And so the plot begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Ohh, umm . . .

Well shit, I ain't got nuth'in to say.

Well, the prologue (last chapter) has been edited to make it easier to read.

And, well, ENJOY!

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Ah how I love having the whole place to myself! No one to bug me, no one to yell at me for doing something horrendously stupid. My, what a grand da-**

**Uuuoooohhh? What's this? Hmmm. Ahhhh. Lets see . . . **

**Click**

**Bleep-bloop-blip**

**There we go! Yo Naru-**

**Uhh, hey, what's wrong? Got hurt or something?**

**Ah c'mon. You can tell me!**

**Oh. Well in that case, come over here. Let me give you a hug.**

**I know I'm an image! Just go with it!**

**Ahem.**

**I know it hurts Naruto. You don't know why they do it and that hurts. But let me tell you. They are not bad people.**

**Their hate is . . . complicated. It is for a good reason, but that still does not make it right. Their hate stems from love and pain in a way that I can not yet reveal to you. In time you may understand.**

**What is it you'll do?**

**Pretend to be happy!? Are you insane?! That will solve nothing! By pretending to be happy you will only destroy yourself!**

**Do you want that Naruto? Do you want to lose everything? You'll become an empty shell of a person, destined to be used and abused, forsaking all human contact in a vain bid for power that will fade away long before your life is over (Wait a minute, why does that sound familiar?).**

**Don't pretend to be happy Naruto. BE happy. Be yourself. Fill your world with light even though you are blind to everything. **

**And if the going gets tough, I'll always be here, even though you won't remember me.**

**Now dry your tears. There, that's a good boy!**

**Well, there's not much to do except for, oh I dunno . . . SLAUGHTERBALL!**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The sun bathes the Land of Fire in his warming embrace. The people of Konohagakure smile and wave to each other, happy to be up and about on such a bright and happy day. Even the ninjas, busy sparing as they are, take notice of the beautiful weather.

There are only four people who pay no heed to the grand environs. And they are sitting bored, asleep, and meditating in Training Field 47.

Naruto is the first we see, sitting at the bottom of a small hill. He is cross-legged with his back straight and eyes closed. His breath is calm and slow; his expanding and shrinking chest the only sign that he lives. Around his the grass swirls and bends as the wind curves around Naruto's sitting form. At times little gusts would pick up and twist in the air, forming dust devils that dance circles around him before they dissipate.

Temari lies on her back on the crest of the hill above Naruto. The cushiony grass and pleasant heat sends her mind drifting on a hazy fog. Headphones sit on her head, playing soft orchestra music that sets her gently to sleep.

A little ways to her left is Sakura, who also lies on the grass, but is far more awake. She is belly-down, a book entitled _The Tale of Genji_ in her hands. Every once in a while she turns her head to look at Naruto for a few seconds. Then she returns to her book, engrossing herself once more.

The last person is the Sensei of Team 7, Kakashi. Like Temari he too, is drifting off. But unlike her, his natural laziness kicked in, so all he needed was the wonderful thoughts of one of his most precious pastimes in the world. The book _Icha Icha Tactics: Domination_ straddles his face.

Quiet giggles could be heard from the Jounin.

It is an idylliac day for the four. Nothing happening, nothing going, nothing doing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

No-thing.

In fact, there is so little going on that everyone is in too deep of a state of nothing-ness that they do not notice the slight upturn of Naruto's lips and his insignificant twitch.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

"I'om a'tellin ees Boolad, thur'm h'aint not'in ta foind daon 'ere mate. Us'ms bes gao'in bach an ferge'nn bou' dis 'ole ting, eh?"

"Damn it Burley! I did'n come all dis way h'east jus' tae give up and go back 'ome. Dere's bound tae be some good gett'ins if'in we jus' stick wid it!"

The quiet peace of the cave is disturbed by the sudden arguing of the two intruders. Their footsteps are heavy and uneven, weighed down by the heavy packs strapped to their backs. Both men are clearly of some other race, skin darker and rough than those of the Shinobi Countries. Their eyes are also larger, and their faces rougher and hardier. Even the miners of the Countries are not as coarse-looking as they are. All that one can gather-from their physical attributes and Boolad's mention-is that they are westerners.

Boolad is a tall and strong man, muscles bulging underneath his sleeveless white shirt; dirt and grime stick to his skin like a symbiotic being. Faded and worn denim overalls are his second layer of clothing; protection against the hazards of whatever it is that he does. His hair is dark orange, nearing brown, and his eyes are a dark green. His pack is large, some mineing gear and pots and pans sticking out. Two bedrolls are strapped to the back.

Burley is a little different from Boolad. While his build is generally the same, he is far shorter. His muscles are also impressive, but the way he adjusts his glasses and the fact that he wears a short scarf around his neck indicates that he may not be a miner. His strange speech seems to have no explanation though.

He wears the same fashion as Boolad. It is his pack that seems to be the biggest difference between the two. Firstly, it is much smaller, and has nothing that is directly involved with the act of mining. Instead, tripods with strange gadgets and gizmos attached to the tops are his choice of equipment.

The men are walking down a broken slope, chunks of rock and shale sticking up from piles rubble. On their right is a wall of stone that reaches up maybe fifteen meters before connecting with the uneven ceiling. Large drops of water fall from the ceiling, light from an opening five-hundred meters back glinting off of them.

The opening itself is small so that only one person may pass through, but being the only light source in the cave, its illumination penetrates deeply. The stone and earthen walls are bent and broken randomly, as if the cave was formed naturally, and rather fast too.

"We jus' lucky dat earthquake 'appened when it did. We would neva' have found dis cave if it dinna'. Else'ways we migh'a still be wand'rin all around Lightnin' Country." Comments Boolad.

So it did.

Both men are silent as they walk down the slope. Just two meters from them on the left the path ends, dropping off into the inky darkness below. On and on they walk like this, only the occasional slip by Burley the break in the dull downward march. Later on, they find an opening in the cave wall on the right. Stepping in, they find the opening is actually a small fissure. Earth poured in, making the fissure look shorter than it actually is. With dimensions that are around ten meters deep, three wide, and four tall, only Boolad felt comfortable going in.

"Us'ns a boit tuu woide, burr aye." Burely admits.

Taking a few tentative steps in, Boolad reaches into his pack. He extracts a meter and a half pole that has a flat tip about a hand's width square and stamps the ground. Little puffs of dust rise from his actions. Deeming the ground stable, he continues forward, stamping down a few times. Finally judging the area safe Boolad returns the pole to his pack. He stares at the only object in the room; a perfectly spherical stone.

All along the stone's surface are black lines and symbols that are vaguely recognizable. Spirals and curves are the dominate pattern, weaving in and out with each other. On some sections are depictions of a woman, her lips pursed with the lines issuing forth. These same lines form the spiral designs all over the stone. While many of the characters and symbols on the stone appear to be from the Shinobi Countries. There are only a few characters Boolad can recognize; those of the far south-western countries. In the center of the stone are the characters meaning:

"**Stone Prison of God's Stubborn Will**."

Boolad stares at the stone for a while puzzling at its existence. He looks back and calls to Burley. "Ey' bro. I'm gonna pop somethin' open. Ere's my line. Pull me back if somethin' bad 'appens."

After throwing out a rope from a spool hidden in his pack, Boolad grabs a handful of dirt and pats it all over his hands and face, getting remarkably filthy. Next he grasps his hands together and kneels in the ground with his head bowed. He mutters in some unknown language in a way that is similar to a prayer.

Finished with whatever it was that he was doing, Boolad moves close to the stone and places his hands on its surface. Then he plants his forehead right in the center on the aforementioned set of characters.

For a few moments nothing happens. But slowly the ambient noise quiets and the drops of water stop falling. Though nothing visible is happening, the two miners can feel strains of energy being pulled into the stone.

All along its surface the black lines and designs shine brightly, filling up like water pouring down an intricate network of pipes. The female images move bit by bit, their mouths huffing and puffing, and the black swirls rolling out and away. All of it forms a rather attractive picture. Boolad, grinning like a fool, calls back to Burley. "Oy Burley, I think we found sometin' real nice 'ere!"

Slowly the light brightens and the lines begin to condense. Suddenly the light intensifies, blinding the two men. And just as suddenly it disappears to leave the stone unchanged. But the sections divided by the black lines fall apart, and the whole stone crumbles into those neat and uniform sections.

Burley peaks in to see what happened. "'ello Boola', wha' har'pened 'ere?"

Boolad stares hard at the object lying in the rubble of the shattered stone. Then he picks it up and holds it to his face.

"Wha' da crap is this?"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The nine stand before the Hokage.

Hardly three minutes had passed since they entered the village before they were ushered into the office of their village's leader. They had to literally toss their scrolls, cameras, and other items to the ANBU collection enter. They even still wear their masks and cloaks. The girl was taken to the hospital by the two Jounin guarding the doorway into Hokage Tsunade's office.

All give a quick bow before standing at attention. Hawk clears his throat before speaking up. "Mission accomplished Hokage-sama. We began surveillance at 0500 hours at three key points around the target. At 0115 hours the next night we infiltrated the target. Immense amounts of information and objects of interest were collected. We have also taken a person who is believed to be an experiment of the Otokage into custody. But in doing so an alarm was activated, and we had to engage Oto-nins. They were defeated, and the target was destroyed via demolitions seals."

Tsunade nods her head and folds her hands under her chin. "At ease." All switch to the slightly more comfortable position. Though Perch slouches. "Besides the girl, did you find anything of note that I should be aware of while I read your reports?"

Both Hawk and Mouse step forward, the group leader giving Mouse the initiavtive to speak first. "Hai Hokage-sama. While Ermine and I were looking through some files, I came across a few suspicious documents. Only one caught my attention, entitled 'Gate and Stone Unification Status' if I am correct, but I believe the most important parts have been blacked out. Only a few phrases are left. And there are some other files that seemed similar, but they were written in such a thick style of code that only one who knew the exact details of what was involved would be able to understand it."

Next up is Hawk. "Armadillo and I entered a chamber that is, even now, very hard to describe. It is like some sort of sealing chamber or a component of a summoning jutsu. But the forms and symbols involved are ones I have never seen before. Armadillo's camera has many pictures of the room in question."

Tsunade stands and looks at the nine in front of her. "Is that all?" She asks.

No one speaks up.

"Very well then. Return to the ANBU headquarters and quickly debrief. Then you can head home. Your payments in the mail." The ANBU bow low and file out of the room, the younger ones, but mostly Perch, excited at the prospect of money. For while after they leave Tsunade sits at her des, sipping sake while reading a report from the border patrol. After signing her name she calls out. "Hey Shizune, get in here!" A door to the left of Tsunade opens up to reveal a flustered young woman in a dark blue kimono with white edges. She has a pretty face and dark eyes with straight hair and thin bangs.

"Yes Tsunade-sensei?" She asks.

"Send a message to ANBU headquarters. Tell them to put Mission 3429-046's collection on top priority. I want all of those recovered documents decoded as much as possible. Also tell the Hospital that I'll be down there immediately to inspect the girl."

Shizune bows and leaves, shutting the door behind her. Tsunade stands and pulls on her green coat that lies on her chair.

"I do not like the way things are turning out."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The two young women sigh, the boredom crushing their brains. Sakura and Temari sit at the top of the hill above Naruto. After only two hours they are slugging their way through the day. Sakura's _Tale of Genji_ now sits in her front pouch and Temari's batteries for her player have died.

As for their present company, Kakashi still sleeps like a dead man. But they do have extra man present, the third fourth teammate of Team 7, Sai. Yet he is also a non-entity in the ways of conversation, since his nose is buried in a book about the human psyche.

So all that's left for the two kunoichi to do is watch the wind spin around Naruto. Sakura rolls onto her stomach and looks to Temari. "Before, you said that the voices for earth, fire, and water were lost."

"That I did."

"Then what about lightning? That's a type of jutsu just like the other four, so why does it not have a voice?"

"Lightning is a derivative of air and wind. But the chakra and movements involved were so different that it was naturally a different element."

"So that means . . ."

"That Lightning is formed from air, but different enough to naturally be identified as an element, but because it is in effect still air, it has no spirit."

"So I'm guessing Naruto will not get control over Lightning?"

"Correct."

"Damn."

Suddenly a giggle from Naruto draws their attention, and the slight shifting of his body draws a small smile from Temari. "Looks like he's getting along just fine with her."

Sakura smiles too. "Yeah it does."

Both women sit like that for a while before Sakura stands. "Temarai-san, I am going to go and fetch some more books to read and some fried rice. Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

"Yeah, Get me some dango will you?"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Burley and Boolad stare at their find. And they stare some more.

No matter how hard they stare, they just can not figure it out.

"What the bloody 'ell is dis thin'?" Asks Boolad.

The two men are seated in front of the cleft where they found the stone and subsequently opened it. What they found in its remains though, was less than desired.

It is a little stone box, buffed and polished like any special box one might buy to hold something of moderate value. Black swirls of similar make to those on the stone cover the sides, while the lid has a single elongated swirl, with several characters written in the center. Due to the fact that they are written in the language of the Shinobi Countries, neither man can understand the box's purpose.

And if it was not so curious a find, they would have tossed it. But being experienced miners, they decide to keep it any way. Burley grabs the item and stows it away in his pack for safe keeping. And now that this little cleft is cleared, Boolad begins to march deeper into the cave. Burley waddles on behind him.

For many minutes the twosome makes their way down the sloping path. But the light from the entrance quickly fades, and something else is needed. Boolad unbuckles the straps of his pack and tugs it off his shoulders with a grunt. It lands with the grace of an elephant skydiving. Without a parachute. And it is made out of glass and all those unbearably noisy metals.

He ruffles around a bit, before extracting a long black flashlight. He pulls out a second one and tosses it to Burley. Both switch them on, and proceed on down the path once more.

But not a few steps down, they reach a rather steep drop-off. Boolad puts out his arm to steady Burley and shines his light down the edge. Not too far down he sees a path leading left and right. A wall of rock prevents any forward movement. The floor below is covered in broken stalactites and bits of stalagmites. The ground is also slightly wet, something that Burley quickly notes.

"Hrrm. Boola', lookie doan dere. Shee, tis wet oi tell'n ya. Bes be moight ca'full if'n ya knoo wha' I mean."

"Aye, but den, 'ow woul' we get all our pre'ous shinies den, eh?"

"Ach, I was 'no sayin' we go bach, jus bein' little ca'full, dat's all."

Without another word both men reach into their packs and pull out a metal tube. The tubes are held a few centimeters off the ground as energy is funneled into them. After a few moments, the rods beep and extend straight into the ground. They bust through the layer of loose rock, and smash their way through the solid stone underneath. After giving the rods a little shake, they reach into their packs and pull out a long cord of rope with a metal clip attached to it; the cord is wound around a harness which the two outfit themselves with. The clips are clasped around two metal hoops on the tops of the metal rods. Next the ropes are yanked to test how strong the rods' holds are in the ground. After a few tugs the two look at each other.

"Zipp'ah on daown eh?"

And so they do, rappelling that is. They make a small leap over the edge to start off. Then as the reach the wall they push off the rock, metering out some more rope to continue their decent. After a short time they reach the bottom. The ground is wet but their boots prevent any slipping or sliding. Flashlights shine as both paths are inspected. Boolad signals that the right hand path is safest.

This path proves to be much easier to travel then the slope they had been on only a short while ago. Few drops of water and small obstructions makes the going rather easy. Around ten minutes into their search Burley finds a rather suspicious crack in the wall.

"Hrmm Boolad. Coome take a lok' at dis."

They do and Boolad repeats the same actions he had taken when he opened the stone. This time though, the reaction is immediate. The cave walls creak and groan as dust and rock rains down from above. Some air burst out, and the two are careful not to breathe in any of it. The cave shakes and rolls like a dying beast. The sound of collapsing stone echoes all around them. Even the cries of crashing water can be heard. The path in front of them which leads deeper into the cave collapses.

But just al suddenly as it starts, it stops. Burley and Boolad had almost no time to cover themselves. Boolad assists Burley in standing and both brush each other off. The later stumbles back and one of the little machines on his person falls off its hook. It rolls for a while before coming to an edge. Then it goes over.

In fact, that edge was not there before.

Boolad slowly walks to the opening in the cave wall. An opening that had been previously hidden by the insignificant crack in the wall.

Boolad stares into the darkness, and single set of stairs leading into the void. He gives a single look to Burley before plunging in. The stout man shakes his head before taking off after him.

Their flashlights go a long way towards clearing their path, but they can still only see a small portion of the stairs below. Boolad steps lightly so as to not cause a cave-in. After only two minutes they reach a door. A purple monstrosity, with depictions of distorted and tortured human faces reaching out as if begging for someone to pull them out. Both stare horrified at the door. That is, until Burely finds himself haltingly walking towards it.

Boolad reaches out. "No mate! Stay 'way from tha'! I've got a 'orrible bad feelin' bout dis I do."

But Burley does not listen he places his hand on the knob which looks like an eyelid. Suddenly it opens up, and Boolad makes to run. But Burley stays, some dark force pulling him into the room beyond. An eye looks up from the knob and stares at each man. Then it squits, almost like a smile. Then it closes, and the door opens.

Inside they find a room with all sides perfectly square and frightening designs made with black ink. The material of the stone is purple, giving the place a sinister aura. A deep humming could be heard.

Boolad watches with his eyes wide. "Wha-what is dis place?"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura looks up at the gargantuan shelves of books, scrolls, and other writings. Some are filed away haphazardly, sheaves of paper sticking out any way they please and scrolls stacked in neat little pyramids. Monstrous motes of dust float down from the heavens to join their other monstrous friends laying about on the lower rows. A few windows from the roof way-far-way let in some of the suns rays. The light, mixing with the old wood polish and faded papers, gives the place an air of ancientness, if that is truly a word someone would use.

She stands in the Old Words, a section of the Konoha Library dedicated to anything old, papery, and even slightly based in reality. No one is too sure when this section was official formed, but many say it started when people began to throw their old books and scrolls into the deepest and darkest corners of the Library, when the librarian was not looking of course.

The Library itself is nearly as old as Konoha, founded by the Nidaime for 'The storage of all our precious information, so that our children may learn from us, even when we are gone.' It was built with its longest wall along the Hokage Mountain, the east and west wings splitting out to border a small garden with a round pool in the center. It resembles a crescent with a flat outer edge. There are three sections to the Library; the East, West, and Center Wings. All can be entered from the Garden, where each path leads directly into the actual Library, or one can enter from the main entrances of the East or West Wings. These routes pass by the Wing's head Librarian, and are also the place where one can perform a search via catalogue for a particular book.

The West Wing is devoted to the storage of all current information, mostly newspapers and public mission files, with some magazines here and there. After a major battle, such as the joint Sand-Sound attack and the failed Sasuke Retrieval Mission, many flock here to read mission files and reports on what events had transpired. This kind of accessibility, along with the unflinching honesty of the reports, was what spread the popularity of Uzumaki Naruto among the formerly hateful villagers. It is also attributed to the decline of the opinion of Uchiha Sasuke from 'Hero' to 'Should be executed.' This of course is to be expected, since nearly everyone had witnessed both Naruto's control over his demonic Chakra and feared the corruptive powers of the Sharingan.

The East Wing enjoys the most consistent flow of patrons, being the section dedicated to academic study. Students of various schools often come here to study. Shinobi also use this place as a means of research into jutsus or tactics, using materials gathered from the Central Wing.

Speaking of the Central Wing, it is the largest building in all of Konoha. It contains not just jutsu scrolls, but books of other countries, studies, records, historical documents, anything that was written on paper. And the oldest and most prized possessions are kept in an underground basement under several sealed doors in special containers meant to preserve their precious wards. It is in this section that Sakura currently finds herself. Many of the works she has read recently have been either studies into various concepts of shinobi life or extraneous literary pursuits for pleasure.

Her sudden burst of vigor for strength though has inspired her to seek new knowledge of combat. Her eyes roll over the numerous amounts of texts, searching for anything that might be of interest. Some catch her eye, mostly about offensive medical jutsus and similar topics.

She glances at a clock, and seeing that she has already spent ten minutes searching for something of use, grabs one book that seemed to leap at her.

"_The Grandstand Reversal: Series of The Far West _huh." She says, but then Sakura spots a small subtext under the title. "_Only for Bitch-Crazy psychos who want to give it one last go before they die_. Well, I should at least look at it, I guess . . ." She says to herself.

Picking up her books, Sakura winds her way about the monolithic bookshelves until she reaches the Central Wing Head Librarian. And, surpassing all stereotypes by a mile, she is a wrinkled old bag of a shriveled old hag. Yet despite her dusty oldyness (now I know that's not a word), she still has the lung power to screech at the stupid punks at the other end of the wing. Thankfully Sakura only stays long enough to slam down her payment and run.

And run she does, until she is nearly at the Hokage Tower. After straightening her books, which had been shifted in her mad dash, Sakura begins to make her way down to the Central District, where she is sure to find many appealing things to eat. But just as she turns a corner, she runs into something equally hard and equally soft.

"Uooaa, sorry." Says the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Hmm, ah, Sakura, I was just about to call you." Says the offending obstruction.

Sakura looks up into the eyes of her sensei, Tsunade. "Ahh, Tsunade-sensei!" She says while bowing. "I'm sorry, its just that I was in a rush and I did not . . ." She tries to finish, but the busty Hokage cuts her off.

"Never mind Sakura, I need you to come with me to the Hospital. There is someone there who might prove beneficial to your studies."

Sakura blinks. "But can I first drop off my books with Temari and Naruto? I kind of need these."

"Very well, but make it quick. This is important."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The halls are a sterile white, clean and plain. At random intervals down the hall are carts of machinery making little beeps or none at all. The doors are closed and numbered with little name cards telling the world what poor soul lies within. The stale fluorescent lighting gives the place an image of false brightness. And the light from the sun shining through the single window is strangled by the conflict with the artificial illumination.

So it comes across as a significant distraction from all the monotony when Sakura marches down the hall in her fancy white lab coat. Her clothes are the same from earlier in the day, minus her extraneous nin-pouch and her books. Her hair is also tied back in a pony tail with every stray strand of hair tucked into her hair band. Held under her right arm is a clipboard with some papers describing her patient.

And frankly, she just can't believe it. Forr the fourth time since she received the files, Sakura reads through them.

_Patient is in severe malnutrition and dehydration . . .Parts of her body are covered in fur . . . cat ears . . . retractable claws . . . sensory organs with functionalities similar to a cats . . . D.N.A. strands unlike any in nature._

And that is just the beginning. She has already reviewed the case files thoroughly so as to be prepared for anything her sensei Tsunade shows her. Just now the door to the patient's room comes up on the right. Sakura takes a deep breath, calming herself.

_Alright Sakura, you're about to see someone no one else has seen and you may be the first to discover what she truly is. I just hope I don't hurt her. I may know a lot about humans and animals but this . . . this is unknown territory. I have to be careful._

With her inner monologue finished, Sakura opens the door. What she finds is not what she expected. The room is large, the kind that usually holds four people; now it has a single occupant with various machines hooked up to her. The color of the room is the same as the hall but quieter and far friendlier. Most likely the soft lighting used overhead creates the personable atmosphere. Or maybe the wall length window on the far side of the room letting in sunlight and warm breezes lends an air of nature to the place. Whatever the cause, this ward is by far the most comfortable Sakura has ever been in.

The entrance is set into the far left of the room. To her right are some books and newspapers, for the patient to read when she recovers. The entire left hand side of the room, the wall that Sakura is looking down, is covered by an array of medical monitors. Some display in-depth analysis of her body and blood, while some are categorizing the major sections of her D.N.A. The center of the room is occupied by the Hokage Tsunade and her assistant Shizune. Both wear white lab coats and are seated in front of a lone bed in the middle of the right hand wall. They are leafing through the primary examination information while looking up to visually inspect her. The bed itself is pure white, with makeshift banisters and thin curtains strapped to the poles. The sheets are rumple slightly as a small figure underneath squirms in her sleep.

Sakura walks closer to the bed, the two other women noticing her presence. "Ah Sakura," Says Tsunade. "You're here. I want you to perform an examination on this girl. One that I know no other doctor can match up to."

Sakura asks in a surprised tone "But what about her current state? Do you think I'm ready to handle someone this debilitated?" But she never actually looks away from the girl's form.

"Yes I think you're more than ready. Just give her a thorough look over and tell me what you find."

Sakura looks down at the girl. "Hai. Well, here I go."

She approaches the girl, and tentatively pulls back the covers. What she sees breaks her heart. The person is only sixteen like Sakura, but lack of food and water has shriveled her down to a little bag of skin and bones. Her hair is crusty and scraggly even after the bath the doctors had given her. The otherwise cute cat ears on her head droop sullenly to her scalp. The fur on her face is rough and tangled just like her hair, and her fangs seem to be worn slightly. As the covers retreat, tired eyelids open.

Sakura stares at those dark and hazy eyes which, for some reason seen to be focusing. Her head tilts forward, and her nose scrunches a little, as if she is trying to find some hidden scent. The medic-nin in training puts a soft hand on her shoulder and slowly and gently pushes her down. As she does so, the girl's head leans to the side so she can sniff Sakura's hand.

"You smell . . . like . . . something good . . ." is all she is able to get out before she falls back asleep. Sakura gives a quick look to the Godaime, who notes down what happened, before returning to her original task.

First she forms a string of handseals, setting her chakra weave in and out of the air around her hands, forming almost an extrasensory field around them.

"**Mine Own Eyes to See Through Thee**."

The kunoichi then places her hands on the girl's smock-covered chest, letting the information scan itself into her memory. Still keeping her hands on the girl's body, Sakura slides them down her, letting even more data pour in. Tsunade smiles at her student's progress and her skill with the medical jutsu..

Though the jutsu itself is easy to activate, its use and effectiveness is often dulled when used by the average doctor. But Sakura handles it with a level of skill approaching Tsunade's. Only about 0.004 percent of the Chakra used is lost, an amount that Tsunade, in her younger years, always found impossible to attain.

Sakura scans every inch of the strange girl's body, letting everything about her flow in. After some time Sakura her hands over the girl's head, searches for any psychological trauma. This part of the examination takes the longest amount of time to perform, but it is one of the most vital actions. Due to Sakura's skill though, it take even longer than for the average doctor to perform. She can delve into a person's mind deeper than others, which means she can find the more obscure hurts. And after finding the pains that trouble the girl's mind, Sakura pulls out, deactivating the jutsu.

"Well?" Asks Tsunade.

"I don't understand how these things could happen to her. Muscle cell breakdown, strangely shaped blood cells, skeletal reconstruction on the cellular scale. No to mention her morphing organs. Its almost as if some of them are hardening, to resist injury. And her sensory organs have evolved to the point where they are on the level of an animal, except for her sense of touch, which seems to be rewired primarily to her pleasure centers, and can only be stimulated by some unknown stimuli. And I do not even know where to begin guessing on how she grew the fur or the fangs." Says Sakura in a perplexed manner.

She continues on a different subject. "But it is her Chakra system that has me confused; by the way it is acting I would say that it is demonic, yet unstable. Her system is vaguely similar to the Kyuubi's Chakra, but much less potent. And there's something else. Its reacting with everything. When ever a Chakra source comes near it, it tries to emulate the Pulse and Wave Patterns of the system. And that emulation is carried over into the cells. I noticed this almost immediately. Her Chakra coil kept flaring up in a rhythm similar to ours. At each of these pulses the nearby cells underwent a different division and decomposition."

"That's not even the half of it." Says Shizune. Tsunade chuckles lightly, yet for what reason is unknown. "Come take a look at her Chakra Pulse and Wave readouts, then compare them to Naruto's and tell me what you see . . ."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

"Ahh that was relaxing." Says a blonde shinobi we all know and love. Naruto stretches his arms above his head, letting the stiff muscles become lifer after sitting still for an ungodly amount of time.

"So, you danced with her for six full hours," says Temari "she must have been in a pretty good mood."

"Yeah she was. She still won't let me know anything good, but I feel a lot stronger! And I don't even know why!"

Temari grins. "Yeah, everyone gets that in the beginning. You're Chakra doesn't necessarily increase, but you just feel like you can keep going. What is happening is that your body absorbs the wind, turning its natural power into stamina. Of course, there are drawbacks. This energy can't be used for jutsus or anything of the type. Our bodies can't handle the conversion. Second, we have to be in a place where the wind can be absorbed naturally, not through a fan or a jutsu. So in other words, you have to be outside for this to work."

"Still, that is a rather handy ability."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Cries Naruto.

The silver haired Jounin stands, his precious porn held in his right hand as he scratches his head with his left. His eyes are glued to the book, despite the fact that he is talking with them. "I'm actually jealous. Even in Chakra Exhaustion a person who listens to The Wind can act normally. If I could do that why, I would never need to worry about being caught after using my Sharingan."

Temari smirks. "Yeah, especially with that Maengokyu thing you have. One use and you're out like a light, and it might fail, even. Yep, too bad you stole The Wind's power."

Kakashi hangs his head in shame. After a few moments, he looks up at Naruto, smiling. "Ne, Naruto? We haven't had a sparring session in a while. How about we have one right now?"

"Really?" Naruto asks brightly. "What are the rules?"

"Hmm. How about . . . uh . . ."

Naruto and Temari stare blankly at him. Sai is in his own world, drawing. A penis probably.

_Hrmm. Two papers. Maybe, but that will be a tight fit, and it is rather large . . . _

I wonder who he's talking about?

"Ohh . . . uughh . . . I know!" Naruto jumps. "First blood drawn from the face, not counting sharp, pointy metal things. Not specifically weapons, but you know what I mean. Naruto nods, eagerly following Kakashi as he heads into the woods of training Field 47.

Temari looks over at Sai, who seems to be rearranging his papers. "Hey Sai, you want to go watch? Bet its going to be pretty cool."

"Hmm? Alright, I suppose." He says lamely, walking past Temari at an even pace. She hurries to stay eve with him. Once both reach the forest edge, they take to the trees, following the trail of the two ninja ahead. For two minutes they leap at high speed before alighting at a tall oak. They stand at a large clearing ringed by trees. Two paths run from the forest on Temari's side to the center, where they merge into a single path heading in the opposite direction, north. The clearing is filled with short grass. It is a harder species than most others, providing more traction but hurts even more when a person falls upon it.

Standing in the center is Kakashi and Naruto, both tense and ready for their match. Kakashi holds up his right hand while his left pulls up his hiate-ate to reveal his Sharingan. Naruto speaks up. "Use anything you want sensei. You're going to need it."

Kakashi smirks. "Be careful what you wish for." Saying that, he begins the countdown. "One, two, three. Haijime!" And in a burst of speed, both disappear from the field.

Naruto watches from the trees that were behind him, the east. He reaches back into his nin-pouch to pull out some shuriken. A faint _zzwwing _alerts him, and he jumps away from the tree. Just in time too, because a long line of wire just wrapped itself around the trunk.

Naruto forces his body to spin in the air, spotting the flash of Kakashi's hair as the Jounin leaps to the ground. He forms a string of handseals, slamming them into the ground on completion.

"**Secret Earth Art: Stony Fist of the Calm Mediator**!"

A earthen version of Kakashi's hand burst from the ground under Naruto, hoping to snatch him from the air. No such luck, as Naruto throws an explosive kunai into the hand, blowing it to bits. The ensuing smoke blocks Kakashi's vision, keeping him from seeing his student. Two easily dodged shuriken tells him that Naruto is still in the smoke. Suddenly, Naruto bursts from the smoke, rocketing towards Kakashi at high speeds.

A swift spin and a kick to the head destroys the clone, but not before the clone does something. It pulls on its fingers, the wire attached to the previously thrown shuriken causing them to arch around and head toward Kakashi from his back. He smiles and pulls out a kunai to deflect the projectiles, that is, until they disappear in a poof of smoke, becoming two more Naruto clones. One pulls back his fist while the other swings back his leg.

The punch Kakashi is able to block with his left hand, but his attempt to block the kick with his shin fails, and he feels himself tipping over backwards. Naruto's clone put in so much force that Kakashi could not resist in his unbalanced state. But he is quick to recover, spiraling with the clone held by the fist and throwing it away. The clone poofs into nonexistence against a tree. Kakashi breaks his fall on his knees, but becomes all too aware that his back is exposed. He reaches into his nin-pouch, pulling out three kunai as he performs a trip kick sending the clone behind him to the ground. As that one disappears, Kakashi throws two of his kunai into the trees above and is rewarded by the sounds of destroyed clones.

All is still once more. The Jounin scans left to right, trying to catch where his student will appear. Two clones burst out of the trees directly above and ten rush from all sides. Knowing that Naruto can take most any kind of damage, Kakashi prepares a jutsu.

"**Secret Fire Art: Burning Fingers**!"

Chakra flares out of the man's fingertips, forming 2 centimeter 'claws.' First he swings his hands-fingers splayed-over his head, burning through the faces of the clones. Next he slashes the clone to his right with his left hand and uses his momentum to make a roundhouse kick to the chest of the clone behind him and to the right. Thrusting forward, he impales the clone directly in front of him. A clone behind him throws a punch, which Kakashi blocks with his left foot and swings up with his right hand, cutting through the clone in a burst of flame.

Suddenly the rest of the clones disappear, and the field is clear. Then there is an almighty whooshing noise, and the sky goes orange. Kakashi looks up to see the sky filled with Naruto's. Each armed to the teeth and ready to fight. He forms a string of handseals then slams then into the ground.

"**Secret Earth Art: Stone Spiral Bullets**!"

The earth all around the man suddenly heaves up and ripples. Small conical shapes peek from the ground before launching at high speeds right into the cloud of oncoming Naruto's. Their destruction though fills the air with smoke, and for a few moments, nothing can be seen. Then Kakashi sees the explosive Kunai coming in from all directions. Left with little choice, he performs a **Kawarimi no Jutsu** to escape.

Realizing that he can find Naruto easily from the air Kakashi leaps from his position on a tree branch. He pulls out several fuse-fed smoke bombs from his nin-pouch. Quickly cutting off the fuse and lighting the short stub with the standard shinobi lighter, he releases them in the air. With a muffled _pomf_ the air all around the Jounin is clouded. But he counters the blinding smoke with a jutsu.

"**Eyes of a New Pulse: Heat**!"

All of this is done in a matter of seconds.

He closes his eyes, feeling the Chakra altering the sensitivity of his eyes and the sight perception areas of his brain. When he opens his eyes, the world has gone dark with little splotches of orange, blue, yellow, and red. Off to one side he can see to stationary human heat signatures, obviously Temari and Sai. But in the surrounding forest are about one-hundred and fifty weaker human heat signatures and one normal one. Judging that one to be Naruto, Kakashi angles himself and prepares a jutsu.

"**Secret Fire Art: Forceful Oxen Heat Blast**!"

Drawing Chakra into his throat Kakashi forces the flames against his mouth, pressurizing it. Then he spins until he is facing opposite the ground, and opens is mouth. An enormous _Boooooooooom _rings out as the nearly solid ball of fire arcs into the sky. The force of the blast pushes the shinobi towards the ground rapidly. He turns back to the ground in preparation for his aerial attack. But just as he clears the smoke, several worrisome things happen. Naruto leaps up with a smirk and the ground is rumbling and churning. Suddenly the earth bursts apart in what could be called a earthen tornado. The ground rips and churns through the clearing, and Kakashi lands face first in it. The powerful currents pull him along, knocking him about like a rag doll. His head rolls over, eyes dazed and nearing unconsciousness.

Out of nowhere several hands come down and grab him by the vest collar. Because he is still too disoriented from his landing to know what is going on, he is easy to move. His body is hauled free from the earth and into the air; poofs of smoke accompany his liberation. Then the ground almost stops moving completely. Quickly a clone comes and kicks Kakashi in the stomach, launching him up near the treetops. Two clones grab his hands so he can not perform any jutsus while a third leaps up and punches Kakashi in the head. He swings back, eyes clear enough to see a heel descending onto his face. The real Naruto axel kicks straight onto Kakashi's nose instantly breaking it. But the Jounin's head continues down and into the crumpled topsoil.

As his body impacts, all of the clones in the clearing and forest disappear. Naruto steps up over Kakashi's head. The blonde looks down with a grin. "Heh-heh-he sensei! Looks like I win! I think you're getting a bit too old to take on someone li-" he stops abruptly, because his sensei appears to be asleep with his nose bleeding profusely "Uh Kakashi-sensei? Are you okay?"

Temari, impressed as she is by the performance, chooses to criticize rather than praise. "Oh wonderful Naruto. Look, you've gone and killed your teacher."

Naruto glares at the kunoichi. "I don't need that. But he should go to the hospital. I hope I didn't hurt him too bad. What with my incredible skills and all."

"Careful of that ego of yours. Don't want it to pop, now do we?"

"Hmph." Naruto grabs Kakashi by the left arm and takes to the trees, Temari and Sai not far behind.

Now Temari loses her previous demeanor and seems inquisitive. "So what did you do? How did you make the ground turn into some sort of whirlpool?"

"Oh it was easy. At the very start I had some clones hide just outside the grass and dig to the middle of the clearing. From there I just had to keep Kakashi-sensei inside the grass until I could get him in the air. Then right when he comes back down I signaled my Kage Bunshins to use a Rasengan on the roof while underground."

"Heh, that's pretty smart thinking."

"Yeah I do that a lot."

"How should one laugh in a situation like this? Loud and insulting or quiet and mischievous?"

"SHUT UP SAI!"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura reads the papers in her hand, taking in the connections between the girl and Naruto. Tsunade stands over the girl's bed doing what she can to halt the degradation of the girl's cells. Shizune is gone, sent to find Naruto and bring him here even if he is training.

"_This is strange."_ Thinks Sakura. _"These pulses have a beat just like Naruto's, but the Wave Pattern is off. And the Pulse itself is not strong enough to support the body. But when compared to Naruto's one could assume that hers is almost an incomplete copy of his. Granted they will still be different in their own ways, but all beings of the same species have a Chakra system with a similar Pulse and Wave."_

"_But if I go with that same train of thought, then that girl would be the same Chakra type as Naruto. And his Chakra system has been absorbing Kyuubi's Chakra his entire life, so he what could pass as Hanyou Chakra. Therefore, this girl will have the Chakra system of a Hanyou."_

"_Going even a step further, we know that her cellular growth is being controlled by the state of her Chakra system. When it becomes unstable, the cells undergo mutations. When the system emulates a human's system, the cells begin to break down. Its as if she needs a system similar to hers to survive."_

"_The only option we have is to keep Naruto around her as the only source of emulation. Hopefully his system will be the best blueprint for the girl to use. Because if I am reading her D.N.A. scans correctly, she is unlike any human I have ever seen. Some of this is similar to an animal's, but it's like the nucleic acids were spliced in instead of being an actual part of the D.N.A."_

"_If a human's Chakra system can repair damaged and destroyed cells by controlling certain aspects of the D.N.A., than that means that the Chakra is suited only to a human. But Naruto's Chakra is a fusion of both human and demon Chakra. And the girl's D.N.A. is a combination of advanced animalistic and human D.N.A. Using Naruto is going to be our best bet."_

Now finished with her diagnosis, Sakura shuffles and orders the papers and places them on a tray bearing numerous other sheets of important nonsense. Tsunade looks up after hearing the noise. "Now do you know why I called for Naruto?"

"Yes Tsunade-sensei." Replies Sakura. "I just hope this works. Because nothing else seems to do any long term good." So saying that she walks to the bed and prepares a medical jutsu.

"**Lay on Hands: Unseen Regeneration**!"

A light green glow encompasses the kunoichi's hands. She places them on the patient and lets her Chakra flow into the dying cells, forcing them to reproduce by feeding them her own Chakra. This jutsu has little medical use save for keeping tissues dying on the cellular level from progressing too far. It is often used to counter poisons of sever brain trauma until proper medical attention can arrive.

Both teacher and student use the same jutsu on the girl. Doing everything they can to keep her alive. As Tsunade works over the chest, the large eyes slowly open. Both tense, ready to grab any nearby equipment should something come up. But nothing startling happens. She looks back and forth between the two with her far-away eyes. "W-w-wa-"She says in a dry, worn voice. Sakura immediately grabs a large pitcher and an unused cup. Enough is poured to fill the cup halfway.

Sakura slides on to the bed and seats herself next to the girl's shoulders. Gently Sakura lifts her head and puts the cup the girl's lips. A small trickle of water is let in, quenching the girl's thirst. She is not given a large dose because she would either vomit, experience horrible pains in her weakened stomach, or both. After the first cup is finished, another is poured. Slowly the girl's eyes grow a little brighter and she seems a bit more lucid. She closes her mouth after Sakura brings up a third cup, satisfied for now.

"Where . . . am I?" She asks. Her voice is still hoarse but noticeably stronger than the first time she attempted to speak.

"You're in the Konoha General Hospital." Says Sakura quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Blinking a few times, she seems to be a little confused, but responds. "I'm . . . okay. Just a little . . . tired is all." Now she looks at the two women. "My name is . . . Mochizuki . . . Eri." She manages to wheeze out.

Tsunade smiles and replies. "I am Tsunade, the Hokage of this village. And this is my student Haruno Sakura. It is a pleasure to meet you. And rest assured that we will take good care of you."

"Hmm . . . thank . . . you." She says, then she snuggles into her pillows still somewhat awake. Tsunade stands up straight and looks to Sakura.

"Sakura. Go down to the front desk and have all of the medical documents pertaining to patient 3382 relabeled for Mochizuki Eri."

"Hai Tsunade-sen-" before she can finish, the door opens. A tentative Shizune pokes her head in. "Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes Shizune?"

Now the raven haired woman steps into the room. "Naruto has just arrived. He came in with Hatake Kakashi, Temari and Sai."

"Huh? All of them? What happened?" Asks Sakura.

"Naruto came in dragging Kakashi, unconscious, and is even now demanding that-" here she gives a small giggle with a smile in her face "-'Baa-chan best stop getting hammered and treat my lazy sensei.'"

Shizune makes a spectacular dive as she narrowly avoids getting crushed underneath a raging Hokage.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The dim light cuts the murky darkness like a knife through cold molasses. Smoke arises from various sections of the bar to coil on the ceiling; little ghosts of grey snakes. A long dirty counter edges one side of the room, stains from spilled drinks and soot pockmarks the wood. Against the wall behind the counter is a set of cabinets with various alcoholic drinks from the western countries on display. Next to these are a set of sinks and a dishwasher. Set on top of this is a tray with grimy glasses and shot-glasses. Most of them are more like mugs than anything else.

In front of the counter are six tables with ages of foodstuffs and intoxicating drinks stuck onto its wood-like surface. Most have rickety three-legged stools that seem to be the only reasonably new item. The floors are rough and uneven with suspicious dark spots at certain areas. Three ceiling mounted fans stir the thick air.

At the front of the room is a single oaken door with years of dirt plastered on it. In the far corner of the room is an elderly man in overalls and what used to be a white T-shirt. His head is hung low in sleep and a mug of beer in his loosely curled fingers. A worn bowler hat perched on his head hides his face but lets his scraggly old beard hang out. In the center of the room is a group of four rough looking men, covered in dirt and absolutely filthy. But their hands are clean with a mug of foaming beer in their hands. They are of the shinobi countries, miners who come to lands like Rock Country or even further to take their fortunes from the earth. They speak in rather loud tones, voices harsh from the dirt particles clogging their throat and lungs. The bartender, a bald man with a craggy old face, stands behind the counter in a spring coat with a black obi tied around his waist. Laid out flat on the counter in front of him is a newspaper detailing the events following yesterday's massive earthquake.

Suddenly the front door bursts open and two figures walk through the door. One of the miners stands up to greet them. "Well if it isn't Bule and Buwei! Where have you guys been? We haven't heard from you since you left to find some new sites."

Bule and Buwei are actually the results of the inability of the people of the shinobi countries to pronounce certain western sounds. The real names of of the two newcomers, is Boolad and Burley.

The two miners walk to the table and set down their packs, eagerly pulling up the mug that the bartender hands to them.

"Well well, if it isn't our old friends Arata, Hideaki, Teruo, and Mitsuo. And boy do we have something big to tell you." Because they found it easier to speak the language of the Shinobis rather than hope for someone who knows the western language, the two miners have far better grammar when conversing with people of this land.

"Unfortunately we failed to find anything of worth except for this." Burley pulls out a small stone box with many curious markings on it. "I really don't feel like selling it, so I might just hang on to this. Here friend's take a look if you want." He tosses the box to the four men across from him. They immediately pick it up and start examining it.

"But that isn't the big thing we've got to tell you!"

Teruo leaps up. "You've found a vein?!"

Mitsuo leaps up. "You've found a horde of valuable treasures?!"

Arata leaps up. "You've found something we could never dream of having our hands on in a million years?!"

Hideaki says nothing, preferring to look over the box.

"Uuuooo? Sorry to burst your bubble, but we've found nothing of the sort." Says Boolad.

"What we found is probably something you don't want to take with you. Much too heavy you see." Adds Burley.

"Well out with it man, what did you find?" yells Teruo.

"A room." All four sigh.

"Covered in symbols, black ink and weird pictures with all sorts of characters written on it. And the door to it looks like the most horrible thing I've ever seen. All sorts of heads and hands and skin like things carved into it." The old man coughs and stirs. The four have fallen silent.

"And when something covered in stuff like that . . ." Says Burley.

Hideaki picks it up. ". . . then there's bound to be something special inside!"

"Haa, but none of us can even begin to understand things like that. We may have to request a mission for it."

"Yeah." Says Arata. "But we should make it a D-rank, so none of the ninja can have any legal claim to what we find."

There is a scraping of wood on wood and the halting steps of a man whose leg might be rather stiff. The elderly gentleman who had been snoozing in the corner approaches their table with a smile.

"Did I just hear you boys say something about some seals 'n stuff?"

Boolad looks at him warily. "Yes we did old man. May I ask why you're interested?"

"Why certainly. I used to use all sorts of seals. Even use some now when I mine. I'll tell you what, I you give me at least 20 percent of the cut, I'll do my best to figure out what that room can do. I'll even have my old friends help if I can't get the job done."

All six look back and forth between each other before they all look a Burley. "While I don't like having people more sign on, I guess it can't be helped. Tomorrow at ten o'clock we will leave for the cave."

"Ah sorry you two. We won't be able to go. A new shaft opened up and we want to get there early to catch the prettiest gems." Admits Mitsuo.

"That's alright, we won't be moving anything out anyway. We'll just open the place up right old man?"

"That's what I'm hoping."

"Alright then. I propose a toast. Can't end the day without one you know. New friends and new wealth don't come around that often. So then: 'To good luck, good money, and good beer!'"

"To good luck, good money, and good beer!"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto stares at the young nurse, eyes squinting in irritation. His elbow is on the front counter and his legs are crossed. In his right hand is held the collar of Hatake Kakashi. The small front desk houses two nurses and a database on all current and recent patients. The entire room is white, but in a friendly way. Just twelve meters on either side of the desk are corridors leading further into the hospital. The fluorescent lighting is soft and gives the place a far more comfy feel. Behind Naruto are five rows of seats facing the front desk. Some of those sitting found themselves stealing discreet glances at the blonde. Temari and Sai sit in the front row. A walkway cuts down the middle of the rows and leads to the outside. The entrance is composed of two tall glass doors with a row of windows looking out on either side. Along the walls are some tall potted ferns and short trees.

The nurse leans back from Naruto. "I'm sorry, but Tsunade-sama is in an appointment right now and-"

"Then tell the old hag to hurry up! The more time she wastes the less time I have to train."

An ominous rumbling sounds through the building. The floors quake and shake as if some great beast is charging. From the right hall a deep roar echoes of some bloody impending doom. With a flash and blur of speed the Hokage appears and with a cry of "Don't you call me old!" she straight out with her left fist and hits Naruto in the belly, sending him flying down the left hall. He flies for a very short time before Tsunade appears behind him and kicks him up with her left leg in the center of his back.

She holds back a bit so that he only goes through three floors. He hits the ceiling of the forth floor, and an immense dent forms over his back. He hangs there for a moment then falls to the floor. As he falls Naruto tilts forward to carry his body away from the hole. He lands on his face. Groaning, the shinobi uses both hands to push himself off the ground. Only a bit of soreness remains; his tenant's Chakra already healed his injuries.

Just as Naruto rights himself he feels a presence behind him. He turns to look up at a frowning Tsunade. "Oh. H-hi Baa-"but before he can finish Tsunade cuts in.

"What was that?"

"I-I mean, hello sweet young vision of loveliness."

"Much better."

Naruto stares up at her for a while before his original task comes back to his mind. "Hey what about Kakashi-sensei?"

"He's fine. I already healed him." She says just as he finishes speaking.

"Oh, well, thanks then Baa-chan. I guess I'll be going-"

"With me." Tsunade holds Naruto up by his collar. "I need you for something."

"But I've got to go train!"

"Don't get that started! A patient here needs your help!"

Naruto blinks in surprise. "Me? Why? What can I do?"

Tsunade sets him down and walks down the hall, Naruto following close at her heels. "I'll make it short. She has D.N.A. of both a human and what could possibly be a demon."

At this Naruto looks shocked.

"But her cells are breaking down while others are not even operating correctly. If her cells had been completely human, then her Chakra system would have been able to restore an environment of homeostasis to her body. Her 85 percent of her D.N.A. is not human. And because her cells contain two different strands of D.N.A. her Chakra system can't heal her."

"Her Chakra system is almost like that of a demon's though, meaning that if her system were complete, then the human D.N.A. would conform to the non-human D.N.A. and her cells would be able to function normally."

"But when I say almost, I mean that her Chakra system is incomplete. The Wave and Pulse Pattern is off and irregular. Because of this her Chakra system adjusts itself by copying the Pattern of the closest Chakra system. But when she copies a human's system her cells decay and mutate as a result of the conflict between the human and non-human D.N.A."

Naruto looks blankly at her. "Sooo . . ."

"I want you to stay close to her for an indefinite period of time. Well, not all the time of course, but you should be near her a majority of the time. And make sure that if there are others near you that you stay as close to her as possible so she continues to mimic your Chakra system. Consider this a C-rank mission."

"But what about my training?"

"Put it on hold for now. And just to get your mind off of it, try to make her happy. She could use it. Now I have got to go. Sakura will be there with you."

For a while now they have been standing outside the girl's room; both face each other. As Tsunade walks back the way they came she turns and quietly says to Naruto: "And if she ever asks why you are the only one who can help her, you can tell her your secret." And with that, she takes her leave of him. Naruto stands still a few moments before opening the door.

Inside, Sakura is seated next to a bed with a small lump in it. In her hands is a cup of baby food and a small spoon. She leans over the edge of the bed, talking quietly to a head hidden by long, brown, scraggly hair. "Come on, can you eat just a little bit?"

". . ."

"Oh, he won't be here for a while. Tsunade-sensei probably ran him down and-"

"-Brought him here to a room with two lovely ladies."

Sakura turns around, surprised but happy. "Naruto! Good, you're finally here. Come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Naruto crosses the short distance to the bed and looks at the person occupying it. Eri peaks her head out of the covers; her ears are limp and only her eyes peak out. Her left and is held on her chest while her right hand fingertips weakly grasp the blanket. Naruto grins winningly and kneels down while leaning in close. Sakura backs up slightly. "Hi there Eri, I'm Uzumaki Naruto and you'll be seeing quite a lot of me for a while."

A faint tinge of pink color's Eri's cheeks as she stares at Naruto. "Ah . . . H-hi Naruto-san . . ."

"Hey, drop the '-san' stuff okay? Too stiff for friends right?"

". . . okay."

"Cool!" Naruto reaches back for a chair and plants himself in it. Eri, disliking the distance between them, tries to move herself closer by shuffling on the bed and pulling herself on the bed sheets. Naruto quickly reaches out and softly grabs Eri's hand and shoulder. Sakura tries to help but Naruto stops her. "Don't worry Sakura-chan, I can handle this." Now he looks to Eri. "I'm going to move you closer, okay?" Eri nods, and Naruto lifts the sheets.

He throws the blanket over his back and tries not to look at her frail body, covered by the hospital gown as it is. He pushes his arm under her shoulders, gripping her right and pulling her close enough for her head to loll into is neck. He puts his left arm under Eri's upper legs and holds them close to his body. Even though it is only a short move, he wants her to feel as safe and secure as possible.

As he is doing this Eri breathes in his scent. Somewhere in side her scrambled instincts, formed by the foreign non-human D.N.A. there is an intact synapse, and as the signals transmit the information to her brain, certain hormones are released. They rush through her bloodstream stimulating certain organs and raising her body heat. Little pleasure senses in her nervous system dance and wiggle in delight. The places where he touches her skin tingles; and the feeling spreads throughout her body. The combination of touch and smell is pleasurable without overloading her.

When he pulls away and sits back down she loses both of those stimuli. So with an unseen blush she motions for him to come even closer. So he does. Too far; come closer. And so he does. Now he is practically on top of her, her face only a few centimeters from his. And while she breathes in his scent, she takes in his face, and feels lightheaded. Her eyes remain half-lidded even as Naruto talks to Sakura.

"So what should I do now?"

Sakura looks over her shoulder at Naruto as she pulls up a chair on the other side of the room. "Talk to her. That's about as much as you can do."

Naruto turns and asks something of Eri, but she interrupts him. "Tell me . . . about yourself." Her breath is a bit deep and her eyes are constantly on Naruto's face. He of course notices nothing and embarks on an embellished retelling of his life; excluding certain sensitive bits of information. Sakura pulls out her _Grandstand Reversal _book and reads through it, every once and a while glancing up at the two. And every time she sees that pleased smile and hears that deep breathing a frown crosses her face.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Tsunade sits at her desk with the blinds on her window drawn. Her trademark green coat hangs over her chair. On her desk, clear of any extraneous papers, are the decoded files from Mission 3429-046. One pile, to the right and the farthest from her are the documents that have not been coded. This is the largest stack. Next to this stack is the 'Seized and Recovered Report' which consists of images of all objects brought back from the mission and detailed reports of each. It is from this pile that she is reading the report on the small stone block found by Ermine.

The pile closest to her left is the 'Medium-Light Level' decoded files this stack is of good size, but not as daunting as some of the others. The center pile covers all 'High-Top Secret Level' documents, many of which can not be understood, since most of the subjects in them are referred to ambiguously. Last is the report on the trains leaving the valley, their cargo, and their possible destinations.

In her hands is the picture of the stone block. She studies the center character on the block with narrowed eyes, trying to remember where she saw something like this. Even the description brings up clouded memories. But there is far too much for her to do to spend time searching for some vague memory. Sighing, she sets the picture and report on the far right hand side of her desk. Next up are some papers from the 'High-Top Secret Level' pile. She slowly looks through them, few catching her attention. Many are about Orochimaru's past experiments or reports on his many labs.

Then one jumps out at her. Tsunade takes just one look at the heading 'Grand Bridge Development Status' and knows that this carries some vital importance. She opens up the folder and sees only a few papers with an almost journal-like layout. The characters are deep and splotches of ink stain the paper. At the top of the first page are labels for the 'Special Construction' files, which may make the casual observer think that it had been misfiled.

_We finally found a good site to build a bridge over that damn river. It's rocky and covered in trees but the Foreman says that's okay. It's a lot better than those other two. Well we've set up camp now and tomorrow we're gonna start excavating the riverbank._

Tsunade skips two entries.

_Just found out today that our materials have run out. We'll have to contact our supplier and get him to send us some more wood. The stuff around here doesn't work. But we did get some nice wood for the handrails from a local guy. We gave him some help with his wounded head by letting our medic see him; a reasonable trade to say the least._

She reads through some of the next entries and sees nothing that even hints at a sinister plan despite the fact that it is in such an important pile. Then one of the last entries catch his eye.

_Shit. We were just putting down the foundations when the entire riverbank fell apart. Turns out the nearby trees' roots provided some structure to the earth. When we took them out, the whole thing became really weak. The ground was crushed by the weight, and even if it held then, it still would have been overloaded by the people walking across. Foreman is pissed now that we have to move to a new site. We're gonna pack everything up and wait for the trains to show up, then we're gonna ditch this place._

Tsunade sets these papers aside and reaches for a sheet of paper with the decoded version of the original.

_The valley was chosen as the site for something._

_This site is at some sort of boundary, and there have been two other places like it._

_The essential item needed for the project is unusable for whatever reason. Their supplier had to be contacted. But whatever it is they needed, they found in the possession of a man. He was killed for it._

_The project is a failure; it has something to do with the site itself. It is at this point that the ANBU team under Hawk was sent out._

Tsunade puts down this paper and closes the folder. She places it on the far right side of her desk with the report on the stone. For the next half hour she looks through these reports looking for anything of interest. At one point she pulls out the folder for the strange room Hawk found, but that was set aside from the other piles.

What she is looking for is anything even remotely associated with Eri. But her search is fruitless. It seems that all of her files were held in the hard drive next to her cell, which the technicians still haven't cracked. Then a little entry in a Low-Level document catches her eye:

_Two new test subjects captured._

_Female 15yrs healthy_

_Female 28yrs breast cancer_

She decides to take a chance and guess that the first is Eri. The second person is possibly a relation, but since nothing was found of her, her identity is not of importance.

With nothing left of Eri, Tsunade opens up the file on the strange room. What she finds shocking is that she has no idea what most of the room even is. The door is something she's never heard of and the knob itself is disturbing. She would have commissioned an entire mission just to retrieve it if she had known earlier. And the seals, if that's what they are, painted all around the room have little meaning to her. The depictions and forms are alien in that she has never heard of this sort of thing, even in rumor. The fact that some of the images have no actual perspective with which to view the dimensions of the image only confuses her. To her knowledge, whenever Chakra is used it has to follow certain paths and angles when it bends to convert the Chakra into the form of energy one needs.

But these drawings seem to offer little in the way of Chakra molding; in fact, they seem to drain it out into nowhere.

That's assuming one knows where to stand to send Chakra into the seals.

Amidst the weird art are some recognizable characters. But unlike normal seals, in which the characters are the central aspect and govern the entire structure of the seal, here they are a product of the demented and mind-bending art. Some of the phrases she can make out have no actual meaning; they are just a mish-mash of characters. Others are readable, but their meaning is unclear and often nonexistent. In short, she has no idea what this place is not to mention what it does.

Then a something comes to mind; an obscure, far off memory. There was once a book detailing the appearances of spirits and their behaviors. Well, there were several actually, but the one does come to mind. It might have been intended to be something of a "how-to book" for the otherworldly. But it presented some frightening images and the author took some liberties describing certain beings. What is important to the Hokage though, is that there was something in that book that was not in any other.

Unfortunately, many authors did the same thing.

Tsunade stands from her seat and pulls on her coat. She grabs the files for both the room, the 'Grand Bridge' files, and for good measure, the folder containing the report on the stone. "Shizune!" She calls. "I'm going to the Library. I don't know when I'll get back."

The raven-haired assistant looks up from her desk in the file room next door. "But I've never heard of you going to a library. You don't even like them."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura leans back in her chair and stretches her legs out. She readjusts herself and resumes reading the _Grandstand Reversal_. Just a short while ago Naruto had fallen asleep after reciting a long and energetic yarn of his life. Actually, Eri had fallen asleep first, placing her head over Naruto's crossed arms which were resting on the bed. He could not move and the warmth was getting to him, and soon enough he fell fast asleep. His head now rests behind Eri's head and on her hair. Both are sleeping soundly.

Sakura casts one last look at them before returning to her reading. For the most part, the guide is laid out relatively simple. Its just that the way this jutsu is performed is unlike any she has seen. It obviously stems from taijutsu, yet there is also the training of one's body to remember the moves. The first step the guide tells of is spreading one's Chakra out amongst the muscles as evenly as possible. Even for Sakura this is difficult. There has never been any known instance where a ninja invigorated all of his or her muscles at once, much less have the control to be able to do it even reasonably well. It is considered and proven to be ineffective in battle. And even if one is actually able to do this, they must still contend with both moving and controlling their Chakra at the same time. But Sakura is determined to get this down.

She steps into the middle of the room and begins to focus her Chakra. She lets it flow through every channel in her Chakra system. The feeling of energy rippling through her body quickly recedes, and she feels slightly looser, as if she could move in ways she usually not be able to. For some time she warms up by doing this, preparing to try and move while holding her Chakra stable.

Feeling confidant Sakura moves into some basic taijutsu stances for further warms ups. From these she makes small movements such as taking a step or moving her arm. While these individual movements have little effect on her control, they only involve a few muscles.

Now Sakura steps further into the room and once again lets her Chakra flow. She slowly walks back and forth while fighting to keep the Chakra from rushing into one of her limbs. For several minutes she walks like this until she is certain that she has herself under control. Then Sakura stands in the center of the room once more, taking a taijutsu stance similar to that of Tsunade's.

The next step in the process of learning the _Reversal _is the training of muscle memory. This is without a doubt the most boring thing Sakura has ever done. For hours on end she has go through the motions of blocking, punching, kicking and just about everything else to make the practiced movements instinctual. But the problem is that she has to be able to keep herself focused and stick with the moves and stay consistent. Any mistake and hours of hard work could be lost.

Now one would think that to learn taijutsu one must practice it fully, but this _Reversal _combines both aspects of ninjutsu and taijutsu. But in repeating making the movements, the Chakra will carve out miniscule bits of the channels because it grinds against the walls.

And so she begins with the basics. The classic 'Wax on-Wax off.'

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Please, you have got to do this for me!**

**No I don't. I ain't got to do no nuth'in for you.**

**Why not? You can see it for yourself can't you? I'm holding him back; he needs his own body! But with her, we can truly work in harmony. She can actually use my power! Granted of course, the side-effects but-**

**And again, why?**

**You want him to become strong, right?**

**Hell-fucking-yes.**

**You want her to be strong right?**

**Hell-less-fucking-but-still-fucking-yes.**

**Then what's the problem?**

**My problem is whether or not this will work. And for their health. And I still don't trust you.**

**I have no idea what happened back then! I just went to sleep and then I woke up here!**

**Hmmm hmm.**

**And besides . . . I want to make it up to him. Even is I don't remember what happened I-I just want to work for his forgiveness for everything that has been a result of my actions. I also care for them. I don't want to see them die and I will do anything to prevent that.**

**If I do help you, what will you tell them? **

**Everything I know. Not that I have much to contribute anyway. All I can give her is some advice or the odd bit of knowledge stored in my head.**

**I suppose . . .**

**You will?! Oh thank you!**

**Yes yes I know I'm such a nice and understanding person. Now then, what is it that you need me to do?**

**When I give the signal I want to trip her.**

**That's it? Trip her? Nothing elaborate or fancy and flash with lots of explosions and mystical signing?**

**Nope.**

**Me-damnit. This is a fucking waste of my powers. Is there not some more . . . uh . . . bigger way of getting them to connect?**

**No.**

**Yup. A shitting waste of my abilities.**

**Waste! Waste! All you do is sit around in that fortress of yours and watch anime and eat dried mangos, ice cream, and piles of melted cheese with orange soda!**

**Hey! That's my personal me time!**

**Ugh, whatever. Just get ready for my signal.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Tsunade sits, leading against a tall bookshelf in the 'older than dirt' section of the Konoha Library. Two stacks of books stand next to her and a pile of scrolls sit directly in front of her crossed legs. The dust here is for more numerous; the beams of light from far above visible in the ambient motes.

In her hands is a book on an encounter two competitive ogres and a spirit while traveling a long and windy path. A quick read through shows her nothing. She tosses it onto a pile of other discarded books. She reaches for a scroll and unravels it, only to shut it quickly, the horrible images burned into her eyes. No one should be able to bend their body in such a way.

Next up is a sheaf of papers that are hardly bound. There are even stray sheets poking out. This one seems intriguing, so Tsunade opens it up. The title page is more of a mish mash of notes and hurried writings than some formal opening. Nevertheless, a title is given:

_To Know this World as a Spiritual Person_

No Author is given. The name sparks with Tsunade as she flips through the pages. There are a few images drawn with an unskilled hand, but the descriptions are far more informative. Much of the time though, his writing is illegible and often runs into the edge of the page.

The beings he details though go beyond just those of the Shinobi culture. Demons of the west, the south, the north, and even spirits that have been seen in the islands to the east are mentioned.

Tsunade sees that unlike other authors, this writer acknowledges that otherworldly begins have not entered our world for many years now. There were only two forgotten incidents in the mists of time, and the appearance of the tailed beasts. He also has a small diamond on his person that contains a link to the soul of his departed master, who gives the writer advice from his position in the spirit world.

The Hokage flips through some pages until a header catches her eye:

_The Room by the Icy Sea_

_I walk again this a path, shroud of fog to smite my sigh. To the right a cool waste of water, the left a looming horde of leaves. True and narrow this way I travel when mine master do call. 'to the veil take the' said he 'the ice do call me.'_

_So I went such way till stone wall I do find. Thought I naught was to be done, so I makes my way away. Such as it t'would be for if not my master say 'To the rock with ye. Bless the straight and steady.'_

_So I do and the grey wall opens to a small turn. I walk this way through throaty hum till door of night's birth I do see. The fearful eye looks upon me then beckons. This place I not should be. Dark marks and foul words terror I. Hums of hidden malcontent all around, yet quiet to tempt my fear of the dark. So I seek the center, but my master's voice smites me. 'Hold ye fast. The center danger it do keep. The edge for you if soul you wish to keep. This be gate, be door to world of mine. Trouble is much if stands it should.'_

_I need no other bidding. The bleak room is sealed by mineself from the eyes of others. It destruction I could not warrant._

It is a small section with very little written, but Tsunade has found what she needs. This is the basis for a new ANBU investigation. This gate, if that is what it is, must be found. The information from the article and the stolen report means that there are more than one of these things, and they must be found soon.

"Orochimaru's one step ahead of us. He may have found his information, but we have far older resources. We just need to know what it is that we are looking for. Because if we find a fate, we will find Orochimaru."

Of course, she does not care why he wants the gates, only that he wants them. Once he's defeated will she try to find out what he is trying to do. Tsunade approaches the desk of one of the many octogenarians working in the building. He sits a ways to the Hokage's left and just twenty meters from the entrance.

"Hello old man." She says, slamming her hand down on his desk.

"Kweh? Huh? Wha-?" he says in a daze.

"Get out everything dating from the reign of the Nidaime and before. Expect to have a few shinobi here for a while."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura takes a step forward and brings her left hand down as if catching the wirst of her imaginary foe on the inside of his arm. Then her right leg swings around to the inside of the foes stance. At the same time she pulls back her right fist and punches forward. She holds her stance for a second, then resumes her neutral position before starting all over again. It's much later in the day and the other two occupants in the room are still asleep. Now though Naruto is snuggling into Eri's hair and small smile is fixed on her face.

Sakura pants tiredly. The constant strain of repetitive motion and controlling her Chakra makes her more tired then she's ever been. But it's enjoyable, because she is doing it for someone.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**This is really freakin' boring. I mean, what the hell are you waiting for? Just give me the word and its all taken care of.**

**No, if you do that, many will end up dead.**

**. . . that's their problem.**

**Bastard. Ah! Right there! All right, when I give the signal, you trip her, got it?**

**What do you take me for? An idiot?**

**Yes.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura breathes a deep breath out and resumes her normal position. Her hand lashes out like lighting.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Okay, get ready.**

**Gottcha.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

She steps forward and catches the foes wrist. Her foot is still sliding along the ground.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**There! Now! Go for it!**

**Ugh, fine.**

**SNAP!**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

A stinging pain rushes up and down Sakura's leg, and she feels herself toppling. Her foot slides a bit before she hits the bed Eri and Naruto are resting on, and Sakura's head joins the group, right on top of Naruto's.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Drip drop. Drip drop.

The first thing Sakura notices when she awakens is that the ground, which is most certainly not her comfy bed which she had been dreaming of, is rather wet. The ceiling is not much either. Just a cluster of pipes running through a red0stone corridor. Sakura slowly stands up, wary of her surroundings. Her back is to a wall, so she has a great advantage point to defeat any foes. But none appear. Emptiness haunts the place; cold isy fingers crawl their way over her skin. The place probably would have driven her to a frenzied paranoia if she did not find the immense room just around the corner.

Deep breathing echoes from the room as Sakura enters. The stone is just like that outside the room; which is itself enormous. She can only know if there is a lighting system by trusting the shining light. What terrifies her the most, is the massive gates with an insignificant seal and a pair of tremendous red eyes and a great, gaping maw.

It looks down on her and smiles, in what could be called a friendly way.

"**Hello Sakura. It is a pleasure to meet you."**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

And that's a wrap!

This is an unpolished version, so please bear with me, and leave a review!

Arballisk, standing down.


	3. And a few steps forward

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Author's Note:

To X2DarkLord:

She is not a Mary-sue in any way. And I will be using your suggestions.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

". . . And that's why I will never eat strange leaves ever again."

It is a bright and sunny day, obnoxiously happy and perky ready to light the path of any downtrodden hiker with rays of happiness. It is on such a day that we find our two miner friends, Burley and Boolad, marching through a rather overgrown forest with an elderly man some meters behind. The path is thin and uneven with stalks of grass and yellow leaves coating the light dirt. Since very few people have ever traveled it the earth is loose and perfect for slipping and falling. The trees are spaced farther apart than those further back in the forest. Most are spruces growing tall amid the long grass and little sprouts of young seedlings reaching up for sunlight. Up ahead the trail goes over a small hill then ends at a medium-sized cliff.

Both miners are clad in clothing similar to those they had worn yesterday, save the smudges and the grime. They wear the same packs too. The old man in back wears a loose tattered jumpsuit faded blue with some pockets barely intact. He has a conical hat upon his head as he strokes his long grey beard.

Boolad is in front stamping his feet on the ground so as to increase the stability of the dirt. He looks back at the old man while speaking to Burley. "Oi Burley. Wha' do ya's tink's gottin intae da old man, eh? He's been gao'in on like dat fer quiote a sum of time."

Burley shakes his head. "Nay Boola'. Oi'm no gottin an idear 'bou da' one, burr aye."

"'ave I ever told you boys about the time I went skinny dippin' with a dog? Ke-he-he! Dat's one story that ain't fit fer the kiddies, the ladies or most; save us old rock sluggers! I was just strippin' my trousers when . . ."

"Burley fer da love o' God, stop him!"

"Guur . . . guuh . . . urrm, oauld man, whud do you'm thinken you'm cain do fer us'ns?"

The old man looks at the stout miner with a smile. "Ah my boy I have no idea what you just said, but I ought to tell you a bit about what I'm going to do, eh? Well, I first send out my spirit energy, or Chakra and . . ."

Boolad looks back at Burley. "Hey, dat was easy'er than I th'ot it would be." He whispers.

"Aye, and lookee, dats da toop of da 'ill."

And just as Burley says, the crest of the hill is near. ". . . and I sense how it moves, which tells me what kind of thingees the seal is made of. Then I have to . . ."

The group crests the hill and enters a small depression between themselves and the cliff in front of them. The area here is mostly grassland with a small hole that used to be a pond. The path curves to the right past the pond, but there are a few tracks, no doubt left by Boolad and Burley, that trample over the grass and go toward the cliff. In the rock is a small slice of darkness barely wide enough for the two men to enter, let alone laden down with their massive packs.

". . . and then I suck in the Chakra like a dime store hooker!"

"Burr aye, lookee 'ere, we'm be att'un holer!"

Boolad breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that the disturbing explanation did not go on any longer. All three halt in front of the hole, Burley with his hand against the stone. He calms himself, and lets his senses flow into the earth. He finds that the rock is smooth and undisturbed; meaning that there is little chance of the rock collapsing. First to enter is Boolad followed by the old man and Burley. The three of them gather at the entrance.

"Alright old man, tis jus' a straigh' shot down tae path da ledge tae da path. Den we jus' rapp'el off it and ta'e a righ' at da bottom. Simpl's that. Jus' try not tae say an'thing. I like da . . . da atmos'here."

"Ohh, okey dokey. I'll be real quiet-like , fellas."

Without another word they walk down the slope to begin their descent. Nothing has changed from yesterday, and they continue walking even when they pass the crack in the wall where they found the strange little box. Suddenly the old man slips, but Burley catches him before he tumbles off into the abyss. "Aye, you'm be best'in wtch'un ou' fer dat edge. daown dere's a drop off. If'n youse fall daown dere, you'm neve' comin up."

Truly, there is a seemingly bottomless darkness to their left. But up ahead the ground reappears, making a rather abrupt rise from the darkness. It levels out to the area to which the three must rappel down to. After a few moments of walking the group reaches the edge. The two miners pull out a set of rope, nails and hammers. Boolad hands an extra set to the old man. Each sets up their rope and begins to rappel down. The elderly man has some trouble, but he makes some steady progress.

Once the group reaches the bottom they detach their ropes and set their packs up to once more be moved. For the next fifteen minutes they hike through the cave; even the old man does a good job of not falling. Soon they reach their destination. The crack in the wall that leads into that strange room. The old man needs no indication as he delves right into the blackness without a second thought. Quickly they find themselves back at the door with the knob-eye. Though even that disgusting thing does not repulse the man. "Well my my my. What do we have here? A little trinket to scare 'way some liddle spleukner eh? Away with you." He says while staring at the eye. Then he grabs a tight hold of it and opens the door. The two miners behind him look in.

"Oi old man, we'll jus' be stay'in out 'ere. Jus' to make sure nothin' 'appens while you're in there, of course." Says Boolad tentatively.

"Ahh, fine with me boys! Just stand there and watch me go to work!" The old man stands in the center of the room, the humming from the walls growing slightly louder as he does so. He stands in the center with his hands held in the seal for the Ram. At his feet the dust and stray bits of stone levitate and float about. A spark is felt through the air as an aura of Chakra surrounds the old man's feet. Then the hum in the room grows louder and the seals etched into the walls begin to draw in the Chakra from the old man. Twenty little lights of Chakra break away and spread around the seals. The man slumps a bit, as though a great weight was placed upon him. The humming sound dies away.

And then for five minutes nothing happens. Boolad and Burley stand outside the door peaking in at the elderly man while he stands slumped over in the center of the room. Then the humming picks up once more and the twenty little lights reappear from the various swirls and seals that fold away into infinity. They all slowly gather around the man's feet, merging with one another. With a slight zap and a pop, the lights fuse to form the old man's Chakra aura. The humming grows even louder. But he pulls the Chakra back into his body; the humming quiets down once more. Calmly the old man steps back into the stony hallway. He glances at Boolad and Burley, who had walked jst a bit further to be out of the old man's way.

"Well boys, I do believe we have found somethin' big!" He says with a grin.

"Really?! 'Ow much?" Yells Boolad in excitement.

"'Hen can us'ns star' digg'in, burr aye?" Asks Burley in a lower, but just as joyful tone.

The old man looks down. "Haa, you see, that's the problem. I can't open dis thing on my own. We'll be need'in to call one 'o my friends tae come out 'ere and 'elp me open 'er up." Both men sigh.

Boolad looks up happily moments later. "But we still 'ound somtin', an' dats better'n nothing'!"

Burley voices his agreement. "Aye, so let us'ns gao bach oop an' give youse 'riends a call, aye?"

"And we shall! Lead the way fellows!"

The group makes an about face and walks back up the roughly hewn stone stairs; the hideous door closes behind them. Their march back is uneventful, and not even the old man slips. At the rock face they reattach their ropes to their waists and packs. Scaling the cliff is hard work, but their spirits are bolstered by the thought of a future filled with piles of money. Once they reach the top Boolad assists in unhooking everyone's' ropes.

By now the old man is tired and out of breath, and he slows down so that he can let it catch up. Burley glances back at him. "Oim, Boola'. Le's give da man soom tirty-'ive 'ercent, ya?"

Boolad nods. "Yeah, dats a good sum. An old man li'e dat ain't 'spposed tae be workin' in da mines."

"Why thankee boys, that's real nice of ye." Boolad turns his head to the voice.

"Oh, ya 'eard dat, I didn't mean no . . ." But he can't even finish, on account of the kunai that has just been cruelly dragged across his throat. His eyes travel to Burley's and sees that his throat too is cut. As blood gushes from his severed artery he looks at his killer. Standing in front of them is no old man, but a shinobi. He wears a long grey tunic this short sleeves for the arms and bottom left and right sides cut out, to form areas fro the legs to poke through. A purple obi winds itself around his waist and ties in the back in a fashion the two miners would have laughed at if it wasn't for the fact that they are facing a hardened killer. Underneath his tunic is a pair of black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt. A black and white spotted grey scarf wraps around his neck. On his head is a black mask; a metal plate with a musical note is sown into the material.

The ninja continues on in a way that suggests that he is smiling. "I'm sure my benefactor will love the little room you two showed me." And he pushes them, their bodies teetering over the edge. Then in a breath they are gone, once-bodies-now-corpses disappearing into the darkness. All that is left is the ninja standing on the precipice. In his hands is the small box the two miners had found just yesterday in the stone.

"And I'm sure Lord Orochimaru can find a good use for you."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Sakura stares up at the terrifying face, hidden by darkness. She summons up some courage to still her quaking body. But that fails when the voice speaks up again.

**You know, you and Naruto have been staring at me for quite some time. It is getting rather annoying, so please cease and desist.**

Blinking, Sakura looks to her right and sees Naruto, just as frozen as she is. A single thought crosses her mind: _when did he get here?_ But she has little time to ponder it.

**Well, are you going to listen to me or not?**

Neither makes a move.

**Hmph, if no one's going to say something then . . .**

"What's going on here?!" Shouts Naruto. "Why are we here?! Why is Sakura-chan here?!" He continues yelling.

Kyuubi shakes its face. **I've called you here so that we can make a deal.**

"A deal? What kind of deal?" Sakura manages to say.

Naruto jumps up. "Yeah, how can we trust you?"

Kyuubi makes a great sigh and lowers its face, as if it were lying down. **Listen to what I have to say first, and then decide what you want. **

**I have been watching you two for some time. I have seen every hardship and trial you've had to undergo. Even when things grew bleak neither of you stepped down. But now something approaches and you need all the help you can get.**

The two ninja cast a glance at each other before looking back at the Kyuubi.

**That's why I have called you here. I know of a way of becoming even more powerful-**

"Oh yeah, and how does that work?" Asks Naruto.

**If you would shut up then I could tell you! Firstly, Sakura, you have noticed that voice in your head, haven't you?**

"Huh, uh, yeah I m-mean yes, I have."

**Well this voice is called the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_**, or, **_**The Placeholder Soul**_**. I can not reveal much of its history, since I don't actually know it, but it is some ancient gift given to the human's; it can be passed down through the children. In these younglings the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_** matures and grows, fueled and nurtured by the experiences of the child. But as the child ages, the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_** begins to fuse and become absorbed by the child's soul. By the age of eighteen the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh **_**is gone.**

**This is because it becomes almost a missing half of the child's soul, though there was no missing part to begin with. And so the child will absorb the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_** because it becomes mature between the ages of fifteen to eighteen. But during these years, the soul also makes a solid niche in the body; it becomes like a second soul.**

**For a demon like me, in a seal like this, the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_** is one's only hope for something even resembling freedom. By using jutsus adapted from the special magic demons use, called SYS, a demon can take the place of the **_**Rull-oui-Taikeuguoh**_**. It is destroyed so that a demon may take its place and live inside the host child.**

**Even the seal of the Shinigami can not hold back a demon's soul when this jutsu is used.**

Sakura and Naruto look like they are about to protest, but Kyuubi continues on.

**The host, at their discretion, can let the demon take over their body completely, and use it to their heart's content. But the host is also conscious the entire time, so if said demon should act out of turn, they will know immediately. Then they can either take back control, or they can destroy the demon's soul soul.**

**Aside from gaining my soul, Sakura, you'll also get some of my Chakra. Two to three tails worth to be exact. And you don't need to worry about my Chakra interfering with yours. The transfer process will take care of that. **

**But having my soul inside you is a big departure from having me sealed away inside you. Some of my physical features will carry over and influence you. And your psyche may also be altered, but not enough for anyone to notice. You may lose your inhibitions though.**

Naruto grins while Sakura's arm twitches mightily, right into Naruto's face.

**And for you Naruto, without my soul to impede yours, you'll have greater reign over my Chakra and yours. In fact, much of your Chakra was held back because my soul was present in your body.**

It pauses, giving Naruto time to ask a question. "Why?" For a few moments Kyuubi squints as if in thought, before grinning and replying.

**Because a female and a male soul can not occupy the same body!**

The two ninja blink in surprise before the looming face disappears. It is replaced by a bright red flash and a hazy red figure in the shape of a fox. This mist twitches and convulses, writhing in on itself and shrinking. Soon the mass is nearly against the bars of the gate, at which point the haze tightens and solidifies. A form begins to appear from this . . . thing. First to appear are nine tails waving in the air. Each is a beautiful crimson color and shining with a healthy glow not to be attributed to the red Chakra flowing around them. Next are the clothes. Layers of red and gold kimono flutter out and away from the center. Flowers and other nature designs are sewn into the fabric with silvery thread. The body comes last, defining the shape the elaborate kimono should take when the body forms. The waist tightens as the pink obi ties itself. The neck opens wider and pulls the edges of the kimono apart across the chest.

The legs form first, but that can not be seen under the many layers of clothing. The bottom of the ensemble floods out and rests on the ground, trailing after the person. The arms are next; hands float down out of the sleeves. But these hands are only vaguely human. The form is familiar, but the hand is in possession of only four digits. Soft red fur covers the hands and wrists. Short claws peek out from the fingertips. The digits wiggle a bit before the right hand reaches down into the folds of the kimono and withdraws a folded fan. With a flick of the wrist the fan unfolds to reveal a sleeping fox. The final part to form is the torso and head. The chest area swells and expands, gaining weight and form. The swells part and solidify, forming two large mounds affectionately known as 'breasts'. From here the slender shoulders rise and connect to a neck. The neck then forms the head, which alarms Naruto and Sakura, and for good reason.

It forms a normal sphere, such as what one would use to carve a human face. But then the bottom of the 'face' extends and narrows. The cheeks stretch out and the forehead becomes shorter. The eyebrows become taller and two protrusions appear on the top of the head. Next, the details: the front extension splits in the middle to form a muzzle with some vicious looking teeth. The structure of the face solidifies and the eyes appear; a dazzling red-green that pierces right into the hearts of the two ninja. A smile spreads across the muzzle. The ears grow taller and red fur covers them. The final touches: crimson fur that covers all of her exposed skin and head-fur of a darker color the spills from the scalp and down the back in silky smooth waves.

Standing in front of them, with a sly smirk, is a kitsune; an anthropomorphic fox.

**There now, isn't it much easier to talk to me like this? **She flutters the fan in front of her face.

Naruto and Sakura stare uncomprehendingly, somewhat intrigued and frightened by the fact that they find her attractive.

She frowns. **What's your problem? You do know that it's rude to stare?**

They blink and shake their heads. Naruto looks up and points an angry finger at the fox. "It doesn't matter what you turn into! Why should I-we, do this for you! You nearly destroyed Konoha!" He would have continued, but Kyuubi cuts him off.

**I was pretty damn surprised by that.**

"Wha-"

**Last thing I remember is falling asleep on my nice, soft bed and then I wake up here! I don't even get an explanation! Just some weird voice saying 'Sorry for that'! **

Naruto stares at Kyuubi for a while, his gaze steely. Then he turns on his heel and walks toward the exit.

**Wait!** Cries Kyuubi; Naruto halts with his back still turned. **Aren't you even going to consider my offer?**

"No"

**Why?**

"Why? Why?! Why the hell should I trust a demon who tried to destroy my village?! Why do you even care what happens?! I bet you're just doing this to see something blow up, aren't you? Or maybe you're lying and you'll actually take over our bodies. Well, I don't give a shit. I say hell no. You can rot here for all I care. It's the least you can get after all those deaths, and don't act like you don't remember it. Come on Sakura-chan, let's go."

Sakura looks back and forth between the two, torn between the angry Naruto and the distressed Kyuubi. Naruto can not see her eyes, but Sakura can. And to Sakura, eyes like those, shining with regret and pain, can not be the eyes of a liar.

"Naruto, let her talk. She might not be as bad as you think."

He doesn't stop. "Naruto! Please! Just give her a chance!"

He hesitates. "You've given people like Gaara a chance. Why not give her one too?"

The blonde stiffens, sighing. He turns around and marches back to the bars and faces Kyuubi. "Alright, talk. And make it good."

**Thank you. **She says formally yet sadly. **I am sorry for what happened to Konoha. I would be playing you false if I said I did not enjoy the thrill of killing in battle. In fact I love it. But I would never kill civilians nor those who are far weaker than me.**

Now she speaks in a pleading tone. **Naruto, you have to believe that I would never do anything to hurt you or Sakura. I care too much about both of you to ever do something like that. **She leans in close to Naruto and puts her eyes level with his, making him uncomfortable. **I admire the two of you too much to hurt you.** She puts a slight emphasis on admire.

Naruto backs away, disturbed at how moved he was and the look in her eyes. Sakura is convinced though. Women's intuition and all that. "I-I'll think about it." He says.

**Just put your foreheads together and charge your minds with Chakra. You'll be immediately brought here where I can explain the seal to you.**

"Now hold on! I didn't agree just yet!"

**I know, but I thought I'd tell you just in case.** She smiles. **Oh, and, when you leave, go get some rest and tell Tsunade Hokage about our little chat. She should give us the green light before anything is decided.**

Naruto nods. "Alright. I'll THINK about it. If I really do want to do this, then I'll call you." He walks away, towards the exit.

Sakura watches him leave, then quickly runs to Kyuubi, who is now sitting against the bars. The kunoichi leans her head in and says: "Don't worry about Naruto. I'll convince him to trust you. I think we can accept your help."

Kyuubi smiles in thanks. **Ahh Sakura-chan, I know you can. Thank you.**

Then the fox woman reaches through the bars and cups Sakura's cheek. Her muzzle pokes through the bars and rubs Sakura's other cheek. Her tongue flicks out and licks her skin, leaving a tingling sensation criss-crossing her nerves. Her mind suddenly becomes pleasantly hazy; but the change is too much for her and she jumps up, ram-rod straight. "W-well I . . . gotta go!" And she's off and away.

**Hmm . . . things are going to get fun.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

"Waaauugggh!"

"Yiiiiipppes!"

"Offf!"

"Eeep!"

So these are the sounds that greet Naruto and Sakura on their re-emergence from the dark and bare corridors of the blonde ninja's mind. It is as if time had stopped moving, and everything had been experienced in that short span of time. But just as abruptly as it stopped, time must restart just as much. The pink-haired kunoichi crashes into Naruto, sending both to the floor. The latter's head cushions the impact. And Eri is not excluded, since she was hit in the head by Sakura's elbow. As the two ninja's pick themselves off the floor, Eri curls up on the bed holding her forehead.

"Uuuooh. Itaaaiii." She says in pain.

Sakura, who is currently pulling Naruto up from his heap on the floor drops him to help Eri. Sakura Quickly forms a few handseals for a low level healing jutsu.

"**Lay on Hands: The Moon's Light Touch**!"

A faintly green aura surrounds the medic-nin-in-training's hands. Using these empowered hands she holds the sides of Eri's head and lets the Chakra flow through. Slowly the pain ebbs away to be replaced by the softness of the healing Chakra. It takes only a few seconds for the jutsu to take effect, by which time Naruto has retaken his seat and Eri's treatment is finished.

As the glow fades from Sakura's hands Eri asks a question of her. "What happened?"

The kunoichi sends a glance toward Naruto, who mouths the word 'tripped.' "Umm . . . I tripped while practicing some counters and I fell on Naruto. Sorry about the bump on the head."

"No it's alright. I'm glad that you are alright though." She says in a traditionally polite way. For a short time they sit like this: Sakura sitting on the bed with Eri, Eri still tucked under her sheets with her eyes peeking out, and Naruto on a chair sitting next to the bed.

It is after some time that Sakura, after looking at her watch, realizes that it is getting late for her. She stands and gives an apology. "I'm sorry guys, but I have to go home. But I'll be back early in the morning." She stands up and walks to the door, pausing only to glance at Naruto. They each give the other a look, adding onto the previous statement. _And discuss Kyuubi_.

The door shuts with a quiet squeak. The two teenagers are left in the silence of the room. The boredom inherent in the air nearly causes Eri to nod off, but not before watching Naruto twitching and rolling in his plastic chair. His arms are folded on the bed with his head in them, occupying the same space as they were before Sakura fell on Naruto. She watches him and breathes in his intoxicating scent. So flustered is she by the proximity of his body and his smell that she finds it hard to string together any coherent sentences. So instead, she manages to poke out her left-hand index finger and poke Naruto in the head.

He looks up. "Hmm? Waazz . . . huuugggrrr. What is it?" he asks.

Eri looks down into her sheets and pokes her fingers together nervously. A deep red blush adorns her face as she mumbles out her question. "I'm sorry-"says Naruto. "What was that?"

Eri blushes even harder. "You can sleep in a bed if you want."

Naruto smiles at her. "Sure. Alright. Just let me pull this bed over-"but before he can turn around, Eri speaks up.

"No, I meant in my bed. Tsu-Tsunade-sama said that you should stay close to me right? Then we sh-should sleep in the s-same bed. Uuhhh . . . then I-I will get the most out of our contact." While she speaks a heavy blush settles across her features and a sly, hidden smile crosses her face.

Naruto looks taken aback, but quickly grins. "Well if you can trust me to keep my hands to myself, then I would love to share your bed." He leans in close. "Maybe we can even cuddle."

Eri surprises him by responding with a hooked finger on his collar. She pulls him in closer; his left ear is against her mouth. Her nose is close enough to his body to smell his scent: dried sweat, dirt, and various secretions of the skin. To anyone else this would have been a disgusting combination. To Eri though, it is delicious. The sweat is particularly stimulating, and forms in her a strange knot in her stomach. It feels like something akin to an itch, but her body is still too weak to comprehend what it is feeling. So instead she floats along on the little high she is getting from him. "Take off some of those clothes." She says breathlessly. "They a-are stinky and I-I won't be ab-able to sleep."

Now its Naruto's turn to flush, but he complies without a word. First he unzips his jacket, revealing a large one-piece standard shinobi under-armor set. This comes off next, though he has a bit of trouble doing so. The clasps for the armor are attached to the sides and are often built so that the armor has no chance of coming off on accident. Therefore the clasps usually have two layers of fabric and are composed of heavy-duty steel; each one provides support for the entire set of armor. And, the armor is easy enough to put on, but taking it off is the hard part. They were meant to be worn for days, so knowing how to take them off properly was something that was left out of basic shinobi training.

Naruto holds both his jacket and his armor in his left hand and walks to the other side of the bed. Dropping the two items on the floor, he reaches for the covers. It should be noted that throughout this time, Eri is watching Naruto intently. Her eyes rove all over his body. The sensory delights of both the visual and olfactory aspects of Naruto put her mind in a tizzy.

Before he can hop into the bed, some instinct wells up inside Eri, forcing her to command Naruto to "Drop your pants."

"Buh?" is his intelligent response.

"Take them off. They stink."

Naruto hesitates and looks at her strangely. "Why? I'm fine, and I ain't hopping into bed with a girl when I don't have any pants on."

Eri sinks into the sheets and covers her face in a mock fit of depression. "So you won't meet the request of a meek and sick girl? Am I so horrible that you don't want to be near me?"

The shinobi blanches and holds his hands up. "No no no! I don't think that at all! In fact, I'll take them off right now, just like you asked."

The shinobi zips open his pants and pulls them down by the edges. As they fall to his feet, Eri's full attention diverts from his entire body to a very specific place.

Apparently Naruto is smart enough to figure out that hiding his excitement is pointless, because he is making no move to cover the tool in his trousers. His face is bright red of course.

Eri, who actually knows nothing about the size of the average man's tool, stifles a gasp at what she sees. The bulge is immense. In fact, it seems too large to be human; this phrase sparks a small memory, but quickly fizzles out. And then, that's if she is correct in assuming that it is not even erect. Another thought crosses her mind though: _I'll never be able to fit that thing inside me! I doubt I can do anything else with it for that matter. . . _and the thoughts spiral deeper into vulgarity.

Such is her thoughts. But Naruto cares little about whether or not his sword his ready to clash, only that he should un-stink himself for the girl lying in the bed. But, just as he turns to leave the room and find a shower, Eri speaks up once more, only this time with a husky sounding voice. "That's fine. You smell fine just like that. Now come in. I'm tired."

Naruto stares at her with a furrowed brow, wondering why she would let him sleep in the same bed as her, stinky as he is, when just a few moments ago she told him that his clothes were vile. Shrugging, he pulls up the covers and gently sweeps in; his left hip just barely toughs Eri's. Then he lets the covers fall to cover the two of them. Eri turns over completely so that she is facing Naruto. "Come closer, please." She asks.

Naruto does so.

Then Eri wiggles to meet him the rest of the way, and haltingly wraps her left arm over his waist and her right arm is hooked through his left armpit with the her hand softly stroking his neck. She presses her face and the rest of her body into his chest. A deep sigh escapes her mouth when his scent hits her, and the hint of pheromones sets her on edge; enough to excite her, but she has no energy to use. Naruto on the other hand has nothing to inhibit him, and his member continues to grow.

"Goodnight Naruto." She says with a smile.

Naruto sighs, knowing that it's going to be a long night. Idly he reaches up and softly scratches her ears, a low purring sound rumbling from her throat.

"Yeah, goodnight Eri."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The sun shines brightly over Konoha once more. it is a warm and joyful day, one that many people would find hard to resist from frolicking in the streets. But the matters of the public are of no immediate concern. What is important is the laboratory several stories underground, beneath the ANBU headquarters. It is a small one, a section of the larger Central Laboratory entitled 'Minor Artifact Analysis.' Its main occupation is to, basically, analysis any thing recovered from an ANBU mission that is of little immediate importance but still ought to be thoroughly documented.

The room has a single door with the wall stretching out from it for around twenty meters on either side. Then the walls turn and head away for about sixty meters before they turn into the back wall. The floor, ceiling, and walls are all composed of soil and bedrock, held together by potent seals that also prevent Chakra from escaping. In an invasion, the Chakra sealing effect comes in handy because it prevents the enemy from detecting any Chakra radiating from underground.

The light sources in the room are numerous but each is dimmed, providing ample light to see but not enough to damage the eyes. The floors are even, for the most part. Though some sections contain little craters or long gashes. The walls are surprisingly smooth and bare of abuse. It is the ceiling that has the most damage. Scorch marks and chunks of rock are missing, and the stone is pocked marked with various colors. Most likely the after affects of past experiments.

The furnishings are typical of a research lab. Metal tables hold a variety of devices: some have four clasps with a paper seal stretched across; some are touch screens with cylindrical scanners in their backs, and all manner of devices. But they are the lower quality items, and are not as effective as those used by the Central Laboratory. There are even sets of beakers, test tubes, and unfamiliar glass contraptions with bulbs filled with gasses and boiling liquids. Several other large machines, outfitted with screens and scanning devices stand against the walls. Most are deactivated.

The tables are arranged in five columns and four rows. The left-most column consists mainly of imaging units. Some use Chakra and others use sound or other methods to develop a rough picture of the interior structure of an object. It also holds the devices used for the Elemental Analysis Process. Bursts of Chakra are sent through the object in small bursts; minute enough to bounce off of the specimen's molecules but enough to form a reading. Sensitive scanners interpret the flow of the returned Chakra and compose rough diagrams of the molecular configurations with a list of elements, by percentage, present in the object.

The next two tables actually serve only one purpose: experimental chemical examination. When other processes have been used to decipher an object, this area is where those processes are analyzed and applied. Usually these things take time, so several experiments could and are running at once. A scientist is always present during these experiments for safety reasons.

The next column is mostly for recovery. This means that this area is used to build a complete computer model of a broken object, recover trace from specimens or evidence of a crime, and a recording of the Chakra present in the object to find out how often and when the object might have been used. The first matter is easy; computers scan the object and use calculus and the dimensions of the broken edges build a rough virtual model. The second activity is difficult, requiring hours of patience and mental fortitude just to recover a small bit of trace. The third is the hardest and the most overlooked. Chakra is shot through the object, this time interacting with any leftover Chakra by bouncing off it. A machine reads these actions and plots them out on a graph and superimposes them on the previously made computer model. Yet many disregard it, because the information isn't always accurate and many question the point of knowing when the subject in question was used. But proponents say that by knowing this, one can assess both its importance and actual use to eh enemy, and even predict its threat level. But this third method also compromises the subject and no other Chakra based surveillance devices can be used.

That's why the fifth column is used before the fourth. It is dedicated to finding the Chakra structures of specimens and finding their general use. It sends Chakra in as it would be used normally, but then the machines send tiny spikes of Chakra through the object, tracking the movement of the Chakra. And then these spikes density and length are influenced by the paths of Chakra. A computer lists each of the spikes and their alterations, along with a basic model of the system which always s needs to be reconstructed by a human. Then the list of spikes is interpreted and the subjects' general use can be determined by the specific alterations of the spikes.

Today only two men are present and working. Both men wear white uniforms similar to those of medic-nin, except that the shirt extends all the way to the ankles and can be buttoned up to the neck. It most resembles a lab coat. One man, with long straight black hair, sits in a chair in front of a computer used to chart Chakra paths. His fingers move slowly and precisely across the keyboard as his dark eyes survey the screen in front of him. Every once and a while a chart with wildly moving bars would pop-up on screen and he would click on it and type at a faster pace. Then the bars would stabilize, the screen closing itself.

The other man stands at a conglomeration of glass tubes, a small our-armed stand with a paper seal stretched on it sits in front of him. Four pipes from the glass mess hover over four dots on the seal. The center has an open circle with five depictions of the head of a beetle circling it. Two dots lie in a row on either side of the center, with black lines and boxy shapes connecting them to the center.

The man pushes up his glasses on to his beak-like nose as he inspects the little stone in his right hand. "This is quite the strange little relic, don't you think Atsushi?"

From across the room the man looks up from his computer and replies. "I don't really care what it does or what it is. So long as it doesn't blow up like that scroll from two days ago, I'm happy."

"Yes, but don't you at least wonder what this thing is? I mean, I don't even recognize what material this is made of and-"

"And it's useless to ponder something when he can go ahead and find that out. So stop being a dumbass Hiroyuki and analyze its Level of Threat Intent."

The scientist known as Hiroyuki frowns. "Well you don't need to be so rude about it." Grumbling he places the small stone block, found in one of Orochimaru's former laboratories, into the center of the seal before him. Next, some handseals are formed and the Hiroyuki grabs the edges of the seal and discharges his Chakra. As the blue light streams through the seals he quickly loosens the stoppers on the glass tubes, allowing a steady drip of a yellowish liquid to fall on the dots below. When the Chakra comes into contact with the liquid, it turns from blue to a silver-yellow color and seeps into the stone block. As this is happening Hiroyuki places a small Petri dish under each dot and puts a few droplets of a clear solution into the center of the dish. Once all of the Chakra is absorbed into the stone it shines a bright green. This goes on for a few moments before the Chakra starts to filter out. And as it passes over the dots it drops releases the stored liquid. One dot has a mahogany color, rust, the third flesh-colored, and the last is teal. These drops fall form the dots into the Petri dishes and one contact forms a precipitate. This then forms solid little spheres which roll around in the center of the dish.

Hiroyuki leans in and examines these little items; at the same time he flips through the pages of a binder. On one page is a chart which he studies intently. Then he looks back at the spheres, and then he writes on a piece of paper. "No threat Atsushi! It's stable and non-militant."

The other man stands and approaches the glass contraption and snatches up the block. "Good. Now give me that and-"he takes the paper Hiroyuki had been previously writing on"-that. Let's finish this up, shall we? I'm fucking hungry."

He returns to his computer and opens up a glass cylinder in the back. Twenty little arms pull away from its center as a small platform rises from the bottom. On this Atsushi places the block. Then the arms fold back in and grasp the stone; the platform sinks back down. If one could see it, they would spy tiny pins poking out from the tips of the arms and into the block. Atsushi sits back down and types up on his interface. A screen appears declaring:

_Invasive Tunneling Scan: Begin? Yes, No._

He selects the first option.

_Please place hands on the Transmission Rods._

Two short sticks come out from behind hidden hatches on the sides of the computer. He grasps these and waits for the computer's signal. Three large panels close over the glass cylinder, each bearing some strange device. There is a whir and a click, and a new screen appears:

_Please begin charging Chakra._

He does so, in fact for ten minutes Atsushi sits there, pouring in small amounts of Chakra. All that can be heard from the machine is a low whirring. Then it stops, and the panels lift up with an on-screen declaration of:

_System modeling complete! _

Yet another window pops up, showing a computer model of the Chakra paths inside the block. Now, all objects can be made to contain Chakra paths which can conduct Chakra but not actually mold it. This generates raw Chakra around the object. But sometimes a skilled enough craftsman can create small coils in a body that can mold the Chakra of an object and actually have it perform certain abilities. The most powerful example of this is Samehada, the Chakra eating sword in the possession of Hoshigake Kisame.

But what Atsushi is looking at right now, surpasses all others. "B-by Kami! Hiroyuki, look at this!"

The other man comes over, and his jaw hits the floor. The data is so immense, yet they understand immediately what it can do. What is inside the block could be called a three-dimensional seal. The depth and width of the Chakra paths allows for an exponential increase in Chakra molding in an exponentially smaller space then a seal of comparable power. In fact, these paths resemble those of a living being.

The channels all lead to the surface of the block, which explains its pockmarked and porous surface. The multitude of Chakra paths then lead through the stone, often spiraling or making tightly packed twists and turns. All of these run to the center of the stone, which on the computer screen appears as a bright ball of light; to the two scientists though, this is no ball of light, but a super dense Chakra coil. The data shows that Chakra is revolving in and around the coil at and incredible velocity. And as it spins, the Chakra is pulled into the center and super condensed. Strongly though, the coil seems perfectly stable, as if the little bit of Chakra used to scan it was far too little for its needs.

Silently Atsushi shuts down the scanner and removes his hands from the Transmission Rods. Immediately Chakra stops being feed into the block and all of the stored energy is dispersed. The twenty arms remove themselves from the block and the platform rises to greet the item. Hiroyuki retrieves the stone by opening the top of the cylinder and holds it in the palm of his left hand. Atsushi rises too, and looks at the stone. For a while neither man says anything, until Atsushi says:

"This has to be the most complex Chakra system I have ever seen."

"By the looks of it," says Hiroyuki "this thing compresses Chakra to an incredible degree. But for what, we don't know."

". . . this requires some more study."

"Yeah. And inform the higher-ups."

"Gotcha."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

In another part of Konoha, our busty blonde Hokage sits in her personal office. She usually comes here either to meditate or read files in comfort and privacy. This is also the place where she gave Sakura her lessons in medical jutsus and healthcare in general.

The room is circular with a sunken center. The first level extends from the wall for some meters before it drops down a step. Then the second level extends a shorter length before dropping off into another level. This third level goes for only a few meters before it ends in three steps the lead into the center of the room. The first level is made of stone cut from the mountains just west of Konoha; not a precious material, but still an attractive one. The second level is made of a smooth black rock imported from Stone Country. The third level is composed of a beautiful sand colored rock found near Suna and given as part of the Suna-Konoha treaty. The last level is strange; all it is is just ordinary rock, found almost everywhere.

If one were to orient themselves at the main doorway, they would look over the back of a large couch, over a circular table, and straight at the Hokage's desk. Ten pillars line each half of the room. They reach from the first level to the ceiling some meters up. The pillars are a light-colored marble, with red and green ribbons of cloth wrapped around them. The ceiling itself is shorter than the first level of the floor, leading to a large dome. The character 'Ho' is painted on the center.

Rugs of great value lie about the center of the office in no particular order. Some conform themselves to the sunken lowest level while others cling to the steps and edges. The predominant color is red and gold, though rugs of a darker color scheme are mixed in. Set on top of these rugs, on the second level, is the red couch. It looks very plush and expensive with its soft fabric and cushiony stuffing. The back is high and curved, with its steeper edge on the one side that has an armrest. This appears to be meant more for reclining or sleeping than most other couches.

A table sits in the center of the room with a few scrolls stacked on its surface. Many of these scrolls are meant to aid a medic-nin in learning how to perform healing jutsus. The table itself is carved from a fallen Methuselah tree, believed to be the one of the last of its kind. The value of this table surpasses even that of Tsunade's necklace-given-to-Naruto. In fact, it has no actual price tag; it is a truly priceless work of art. And, it is the only wood that the Shodaime ever carved with his bare hands. He wanted it to be perfect, so he spent many years carving it, never making more than a few cuts each time. And the results of his labor now lie here.

The walls are made with top-notch Konoha wood, painted a light brown to connect to nature with out making the room seem too dark. Along the wall are pictures of the past Hokages and multi-meter wide-and-tall scrolls of beautifully written characters. And behind Tsunade's desk is an even bigger scroll with the characters "_Will of Fire._"

One of the last few objects of interest is Tsunade's desk. It is very similar to her desk in her public office, but elongated. Several papers are strewn about the desk, and a computer monitor is held up out of a hatch on top of the desk. Behind this is a large and comfy green chair made with a dark wood frame. Behind these two is a row of cabinets, holding all sorts of bits and tiddles that a Hokage would find useful.

Currently occupying the seat is Tsunade, intently reading the documents pulled up on her computer. Just a few minutes ago the technicians at the ANBU headquarters had cracked the files on Eri's cell computer. Tsunade ordered to have them immediately brought to her. Now she finds herself sifting through the files, searching for something, anything, about Eri. After a bit of browsing something stops her.

"_Patient 4N-694_." Says the Hokage.

She double clicks on the file and reads the report. _Retrieved fourteen year-old female. Healthy D.N.A. and only a 98.7 percent chance of future genetic defects. Preliminary testing shows that she is compatible with the NEKO samples. Begin splicing on 3-08-45._

Everything else after that is just Eri's medical details at the time this report was written. It is just as the brief description says. Eri had perfect health. Putting this in a special folder, Tsunade continues to read the rest of the files. Almost instantly another comes up, the date showing nearly a year after the first report. This one seems to be a routine examination of both current health and a prediction of the future.

_Patient 4N-694 has progressed far better than any other subject. The splicing was successful and the two D.N.A. samples work in relative harmony. _

_Physical traits have set. No noticeable maladies except for the side-affects of the splicing. These effects though are wearing off, and should cease in two months._

_List of suffered effects in order from earliest to latest:_

_Skin deformation_

_Muscle cramps_

_Hallucinations_

_Violent pain_

_Organ rupture_

_Uncontrollable waste functions (Bowel movements, burning urination, etc . . .)_

_Dissolving of the bones_

_Tissue liquefaction_

_Insanity_

_Nothing yet can be confirmed, but the Chakra system grows weak. Possible implant needed. NEKO type donor preferably._

Tsunade clutches her mouth at what she reads; horrified that anyone could so something like that. A whole new hate burns in her heart for Orochimaru. She consents that there is little she can do, because Eri is already receiving the best of care. All that can be done is find out what has been done to her.

The Hokage takes a breath and opens up another file, dated only six months ago.

_Subjects 6S-081-3 and 2F-737 have escaped, and every other subject except for 4N-694 have died. Teams out searching for 6S-081-3 and 2F-737; possibility of capture: unlikely. Current data puts lifespan at two months maximum._

_Subject 4N-694 still suffers splicing side-affects, but stable health levels are within an acceptable range. Will halt all other treatments except for injections of medicine and a 15.0 percent heroine solution._

Tsunade closes the file and rubs her eyes, thinking to herself about how this young girl was treated. As she does so she sees one last file, this time from less than two weeks ago.

_All subjects have failed. 4N-694 ceased to progress; evaluations deem her unfit for any form of combat. Mentality weak. Physical properties not up to desired expectations. Cellular breakdown is accelerating._

_Because the collapsed gates, there are no NEKO type donors. Experiments on Subject 4N-694 have been halted._

_Termination method: desertion._

A crash echoes through the room. A pot of flowers, once sitting nice and pretty next to the monitor, now lies dead with its guts on the wall. Tsunade balls her fists and clenches her jaw, head bowed. _Damn it! How could anyone do this to her! And they used drugs on her! Bastards, they have no souls, doing this to her. Orochimaru, I hope you die painfully for this. Because when you do, I'll put your grave in the center of Konoha so that everyday people can come by and laugh and strike at your tombstone. And children will deface it make play all around it. Everyone you've wronged will be able to bring some of their sorrow and take it out on you. But before my sweet revenge, I've got a young woman who needs a check-up. _

Tsunade stands and pulls on her favorite green coat, speaking aloud to herself:

"Once she is healthy, we'll come after you. You'll have two of the strongest ninja's in the world coming after you. And I know you can't handle your student's former teammates."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The hospital room is filled with the delectable scent of perfectly made ramen. Sakura and Naruto find themselves seated on chairs eating their noodles off the nightstand next to Eri's bed. The Hanyou girl still sleeps, wrapped up in her blankets. A small frown sulks on her face, saddened at the loss of her bed partner.

Naruto had awoken before Sakura had arrived, which bought him enough time to throw on some clothes from the night before. But Sakura thought ahead, and had already brought over some clothes from his apartment. His clothes from yesterday lay the bag Sakura had used, stinking up the far corner of the room. Today the shinobi wears a thin black T-shirt with on the front red spiral. White thread frames its edges. A pair of orange cargo pants adorns his legs, the manifold pockets empty.

Except for Gama-chan.

Both teenagers eat from their large Styrofoam bowls, the slurping of ramen the only sound in the room. Naruto takes a mouthful of his food with a thoughtful look on his face. The illusion of intelligence is ruined though, because his cheeks are bulging with food.

"Shuakwu-wa-chwan." He says, spraying a fine mist of broth into the air. The kunoichi narrows her eyes and says dangerously:

"Speak with your mouth closed." He swallows down the load, straining his throat. It takes a while but he finally dislodges the noodles from his windpipe, coughing a bit.

"Kuu-ppuuuuooo! Kuu-pah! Ga-ga-ga! Hmm. I've been thinking about . . . well, you know." Sakura immediately stops eating. "And, I don't know what to do. I mean, sure I am her container, but you will be the one to actually live with her. So . . . I think that . . . you should decide what happens. It's you who could be put in danger, and I can't make that decision for you. Just . . . know that I will support anything you choose." At first he starts off rather weak and haltingly, but he quickly picks up strength and is talking normally once more.

Sakura smiles. "Thanks Naruto. And you don't need to worry about waiting for me to decide. I want to do it."

"What? Really?" He asks in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah. I think we can trust her Naruto."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm sure Naruto. Besides, you said it was my desiscion right?"

"Yeah . . ."

"Then there's no problem! We'll just wait for Eri to wake up, and then I can go get Tsunade-sama and bring her here."

A small, soft noise sounds from the bed. The covers roll a bit until Eri's eyes peek out over the covers. "Naruto-kun? Sakura? What's going on?"

The two ninja smile at her, happy to see her awake and no longer stuttering. Her skin seems to have some color to it, and her ears are twitching slightly. "Just getting ready to get your breakfast Eri-chan." Replies Naruto. He stands and walks over to a Heat-Top that has a small plate covered with aluminum foil on it. He turns off the Heat-Top and removes the foil, it reveal mashed peas, carrots, and some light soup. Sakura pours a glass of water for the girl, since orange juice might be too acidic for her. A container of baby food is also opened, in case Eri would rather have something else. Nest to these Sakura lays down some napkins and a towel.

Naruto puts down the plate and moves his chair aside. Positioning himself next to the bed, Naruto pushes his right arm under Eri and wraps his left over her waist. As he does this, Sakura moves to the other side of the bed and leans the pillows against the headrest. Slowly Naruto puts the girl's back onto the pillows, so that she is sitting up.

Naruto reaches for his chair and repositions himself next to Eri. Then he grabs the plate and a spoon while Sakura puts the glass of water and baby food within Naruto's reach. He spoons up a small bite of the peas and holds them up to Eri's mouth. She takes the morsel in, her fangs clipping the sides of the spoon. For some seconds Eri chews the green vegetables while Naruto holds a half-spoonful of peas over the plate.

And for ten minutes the feeding goes on like this, Naruto slowly serving Eri her food. Sakura stands back from the two. She tries to read her _Grandstand Reversal _guide, but finds herself constantly watching the two. Then, the door opens; Tsunade steps into the room, garbed in her usual wear and her green trademark coat. All three teenagers turn to look at her in surprise.

"Eh, Baa-chan?"

"Hokage-sama?"

"Tsunade-sensei?"

The blonde woman smiles at the group. "Hey kids! How is it going?"

Eri smiles back, looking rather cute with her fangs sticking out over her lower lip. "I'm okay Hokage-sama, just still a little weak."

"That's good." A pause. "Though, I should still give you a check up. I trust Sakura to take good care of you, but in your case, I think it's better if someone a little more experienced worked on you. No offence Sakura."

"Oh uhh, none taken Tsunade-sensei." Just as the Hokage enters the room, Naruto sends Sakura a quick look. She blinks, and then the light bulb goes off. "Oh! There's something I need to talk with about first!" She rushes over and grabs the older woman's hand. Then the two exit the room, Sakura tugging Tsunade along. Once the door slams shut Naruto turns back to Eri.

"Now then Eri-chan let's finish your breakfast."

The grinning blonde spoons more bite-sized portions up to the girl. Each time he does so her ears wiggle a bit. Yet hardly any time passes before the door opens once again, this by an attractive young nurse. "Oh, Uzumaki-san!" She says. "Good morning. I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to leave while I give Eri her sponge bath." Eri blushes beet red while Naruto sets aside the plate.

"Okay, thanks for letting me feed you Eri-chan. I enjoyed it."

"No, thank you. And I enjoyed it too."

Naruto prepares to leave, only twisting his head to look back at Eri. "I'm going to go out and do some meditating." Now he looks at the Nurse. "I'll be right down in the garden. Come get me when she's done, alright?"

"Of course." And with a wave and a last goodbye he's gone. "Now then Mochizuki-san, shall we get started?"

As the woman pulls out a second bed for Eri to bath on, the younger woman asks a question. "Could he have stayed if he wanted to?"

The nurse blinks, and then grins mischievously. "No, but I wouldn't have told anyone."

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

"Are you ABSOLUTLY sure you can trust her?"

"Tsunade-sensei I know I can."

". . . you can say that, but that still doesn't mean that I can believe it." Sakura looks hurt at that.

The student and teacher stand in Tsunade's medical office. It is a small area, just as all that other offices are. The two are in the center of the room; a patient table lies behind Sakura and a sink, counter, and a short row of cabinets behind Tsunade. The counter-top and padding of the seats and table are an evergreen color with the rest of the room a sterile white. Sitting on a trolley next to the window between the table and the counter is a computer.

In the cabinets are varying types of medical supplies such as bandages, ointments, a case of hypodermic needles, and bottles of liquid with unpronounceable names. In a locked case at the far end of the row are sets of medications that Tsunade likes to keep for emergencies and special patients.

The window is open, allowing sunlight to stream into the room. Rays fall into the two women's eyes that absentmindedly blink. The matter at hand distracts them from anything else.

"Tsunade-sensei, I know I can handle this."

"No, I don't think anyone can. Sakura, having a demon share a body with human is something unheard of. A demon being sealed in a person may be a bad thing – but at least we know it works. What you're asking is far too dangerous. The Kyuubi could easily have been lying, plotting some sort of escape."

Sakura waves her hands. "But we can see the seals involved in the soul transfer! You can have them inspected; just to make sure that something like that doesn't happen."

The Hokage sighs. "If that were possible then I would have said yes. But we would know nothing of the seals. Something as delicate as moving a soul would require an immense number of seals. And if it is a jutsu that came from the Makai, then not even Jiraiya would be able to understand them." The pink-haired kunoichi looks down. "I'm sorry Sakura, but the only way I could allow this is if there was a sure-fire way to protect against you becoming overwhelmed by the Kyuubi."

Suddenly Sakura's head shoots up. "Wait! What about that – that seal you told me about in the Sunken Vault . . . the, uh . . ."

"**The Three Windows of Manifold Paths**?" She asks incredulously.

"Yes! That! You can use that seal to track my Chakra coil's core and look for hidden fluctuations. If something happens, then you can . . . well . . ." the pause lasts for some time as Sakura shifts uncomfortably. Tsunade puts a finger to her lips and bows her head in thought. Several ideas run through her mind, but she does not have the faintest idea of how that seal could help them. All it does is offer a close look into a person's Chakra coil and nothing else. She decides to ask Sakura and find out what the youth has in mind.

"Well," she replies "I know that **The Three Windows of Manifold Paths **can only reveal the output of the coil. That, and that it is an invasive seal, so if we we're to try and dig any deeper we would rupture the coil, and well . . . anyway, my ides is, what if we were able to capture the fluctuations of the Inner coil? A very sensitive seal like the **Gong of the Fading Heart**, made by you since I've can't handle a high level seal like that, can filter out the interference from the Outer area and capture the signal. Then, because the Wave and Pulse of the Inner coil are derivatives of the Soul, we can take it's anti-derivative. This will give us the signal for the Soul. After that you can take regular updates on me by comparing the check-ups with my original signals. Tsunade-sensei, I know that these jutsus are forbidden to all save the Hokage, but I think this warrants their use."

Tsunade looks surprised for a moment before giving a sly smirk at her student's knowledge. "Well, that sounds like a good plan. Alright, you have my consent. I'm just glad that I told you about those jutsus during your lessons. Now let's head down to my private office so we can inscribe that **Gong **seal, eh?"

"Thank you Tsunade-sensei!" She moves to open the door. But Tsunade reaches out to for her shoulder.

"Sakura." She says. The student turns to look at the master. "I'm sorry if I sounded like I didn't trust you earlier. It's just that, I want to be absolutely sure that you will be fine."

The younger one looks down, her voice low. "That's okay Tsunade-sensei. I was just a little surprised that you didn't believe that my abilities could-"

"It's not about your abilities Sakura." Tsunade interrupts. "I said that because I am worried, not as a master, not as a Hokage, but as a mother would. I can't help but worry about you." Sakura brightens up. "Can you forgive an old woman for letting her feelings get the better of her?"

The kunoichi tilts her head back and looks to the ceiling as if in thought. Her answer is spoken slowly and with a drawl. "Weeeellllll, maybe. I will . . . if that old woman can get to The Sunken Vault before me!"

Tsunade blinks her eyes as the pink blur rushes by through the room and out the window. It takes but a moment for her to respond. "Oh damn it! Think you can out run me, do you!?" And she too, is off.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Three hours have passed since Tsunade and Sakura left for the Sunken Vault, shifting the scene onto Naruto.

The center of the hospital complex is a peaceful glade enclosed by five buildings with various purposes. On the sides facing the glade each building has a set of large double glass doors that open up onto a paved path. It cuts through the gardens and joins up with the main walkway that circles the center of the glade. Some tall trees stand in the ringed area; soft green grass grows underneath. The freshly cut and manicured lawn rarely feels any breeze, but today they are feeling a rather strong gust.

Streams of wind spin around the area at thankfully safe speeds. The branches of the trees bob and sway while the grass waves, reflecting the bright sun. The few patients being wheeled around enjoy the wind.

At the center of the glade the gusts tighten their spins and spiral around a sitting Naruto. His head is bowed once more in concentration. But his face shows none of it. Actually, he looks like he is enjoying himself.

He is dressed in casual orange pants with two black vertical stripes on the outside edge of the legs with black belt loops. His T-shirt is black with a white lining on the edges of the sleeves and the neck. The red spiral of Konoha is on each sleeve.

Just a few meters behind him is Eri in a heavily cushioned wheelchair. The Chakra therapy is working evidently, as her eyes seem just a little bit brighter. Instead of the dark, hazy color she had when she was brought in, now her eyes are lighter, revealing dazzling golden-brown irises. Her skin is also healthier. Though her skin is still slightly pale and weak, the treatment has improved her circulation, at least bringing a tinge of red to her complexion.

The affliction of her malnutrition is still present. The protruding bones lend the girl a visage not unlike that of a skeleton. Each movement causes her to quiver, as the degraded muscles do not have the energy to move.

But, there is a curious exception for the time she spends with Naruto. Whenever he is near her something inside her flares up, and the world comes into sharper focus. A few times she had a headache from this, but she did not really care. What matters to her is that her drowsiness filters away, and her limbs feel hardier. Of course she can't join the lumberjacks, but this small spark of strength is more than enough to perk her up. At least enough to enjoy her time with the blond shinobi.

A light hospital smock is tied around her neck and waist, with longer sleeves than the usual type given to patients. It bears a "kitty-kat" print which, on Eri, is a wonderfully cute sight to behold. On her lap is a thin plain blue blanket made, so that it can be worn during the summer.

She is here now because just two hours and twenty minuets ago she had been wheeled out by the nurse after her sponge bath. First she was taken on a short stroll through the gardens and then between the buildings for some sun. After that she was brought to Naruto as per his request.

At that time he was deep in meditation. When it became apparent that he was not going to move for some time, Eri had opened up one of the books she had requested from a book list the other day. The first she opened was _The Chunnin's Guide to Survival _but was filled with too many ninja terms and hypothetical situations that Eri could not wrap her mind around. The second was a book imported from the somewhere up north, entitled _The Book of Five Rings_. And it has held her attention ever since.

But, the winds begin to subside and the grass stops waving. The swirling orb of air in the center of the glade leaks out its power and floats away from the shinobi in the center. As the breeze wafts out one could swear that a sigh was heard. After the last of the wind filters out Naruto stands and stretches his arms, speaking to someone that is not there.

"I'm so sorry," he says in a hushed tone "but I should watch her and keep her company for a bit. I'll be back, don't you worry." At this the last of the winds leaves and Naruto is left standing, staring at Eri with a big happy grin on his face. "Hello my pretty kitty-lady, how are you? Sorry to keep you waiting but that meditation is something I have to do A LOT."

She smiles bemusedly at Naruto. "Kitty-lady? Where'd that come from?"

"Well," he responds "it's because of these." He kneels in front of Eri's wheelchair. Bending over her knees and coming face to face with her, he rubs his fingertips along the inside of the edges and tips of her ears. She shivers and moans at his touch as her ears twitch madly. "And this." Both hands move to hold her cheeks. His thumbs brush lightly over her face-fur, sending sparks of pleasure through her. A smirk leaps onto his face at her reaction. "So I guess you like it, huh?"

Eri nods her head shyly, a blush tinting her face.

"Aaaahhhh! Look at my pretty kitty lady all red in the face! Did I embarrass you?""

The blanket flips up and over to cover her head and her hands hold the material to her face. But, swiftly wiggling ears betray her embarrassment and enjoyment.

Naruto blinks at her and just barely manages to stifle his giggles. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you Eri-chan." he says apologetically. He reaches up and slowly pulls the blanket off of her head, a disarming smile on. "Come on now Eri-chan, lets take that blanket off. I promise not to embarrass you too much, okay?"

Her beautifully colored eyes look up at him, entrancing Naruto. When she speaks, her voice is quiet, but still carries her renewed strength. "Thank you Naruto-kun. Um . . . can you put me down on the grass under that tree? I getting sore sitting in this chair."

He bows. "As you wish Eri-sama." Standing, Naruto grasps the back handle bars of Eri's chair and wheels her towards a tree just ten meters to the right of their original position. Then he lifts her up bridal style, her blanket still wrapped around her legs. She lets her head roll onto his shoulder, once again breathing him in. Eyes roll up as a contented sigh escapes her and her body relaxes into his.

Once he gets to the base of the tree, he sets Eri down gently; first on her rear, then from her back to her legs. As he releases his hold, the girl reaches out and grasps his left sleeve. "Can you sit with me?" she asks.

One enthusiastic nod later, and both are sitting side by side under the tree. Eri's head lies on Naruto's right shoulder with her legs out in front. Naruto's are splayed out. A few minuets pass like this, neither wishing to speak. But, Eri wanted to hear her friend's voice, so she asks him:

"What were you training for just now?"

He glances at her from the corner of his eye. Thoughts churn in his head provoked by the question. So absorbed in his mind is he that Naruto never notices that his mouth has been running. "It's to get stronger. Something every ninja does. But . . . its to prepare."

"Prepare for what?"

". . . to bring back a friend of mine."

"Why is he gone? Or, can you tell me?"

Naruto's eyes grow distant and his voice loses its energy. The sadness is almost palpable. "He's just a little . . . misguided. To others he seemed fine, but I could tell. He was like me, alone in the world." Eri leans in closer to him and grips his bicep in her left hand. A few birds twitter in the branches above as a puff of wind shakes the tree. "Actually, he had less. At least I had Ojiji-san. No one knew him. No one could reach him. So when he got some crazy idea in his head, no one could tell him to stop."

A humorless smile crosses the shinobi's face as he contemplates a certain teammate. "Heh, he built his whole life around it, around that goal. It wasn't until we became . . . friends that he opened up. Bit by bit I got to know him, and he me. But one day a bad man came and destroyed everything. He twisted my friend to seek the means to fulfill his desire. And that meant being the strongest."

He takes a deep breath and continues. "He hated me, and believed that defeating me was the first step to achieving his goal. He defected and we fought. During the fight I told him," he gulps and Eri grips him with both arms. Both are staring straight forward. "I told him that I thought of him as my brother. And he said . . . he said that I too, am his brother. And that is why he must kill me."

His head turns down as he continues. "I know that he can be saved. I have to save him. He is my brother Eri. I can't abandon him even when he turns me aside." He looks at her with a smile and small tears at the corner of his eyes. "Because family has to do what's best for each other, even his we have to drag them along kicking and screaming."

Eri stares at his face, pain for the boy filling her. She hugs his arm to her chest and says "You're a good person Naruto, to help someone who's hurt you so. I know you'll bring your brother back and I'm sure, in time, that he will thank you for it."

A hand wipes itself across his eyes, clearing away and tears gathered there. He takes a deep shuddering breath as his right arm comes up to grasp Eri's far shoulder. "Thank's Eri-chan." He says with a smile "I'm sorry to bother you with this. Its not like me to-"

"No! No, I'm happy you told me this. It's not healthy to keep things bottled up inside. You have to talk to people, or else you'll only get hurt by the secrets you keep. That's what my par . . . ents used to say." She sighs and looks at the ground.

"That's right!" Naruto exclaims. "You're parents!" We should look for them or-"

"That's not possible. They're dead."

He deflates. "What? Are you sure?"

"Without a doubt." She nods. "I saw my father die, and, I think, my mother died before the . . . experiments." She says with a shiver.

"Are you alright? You don't have to-"

"No, that's alright. I'm fine."

Naruto watches her for a moment. "You miss them a lot."

A sad smile spreads across her face. "I do, and even though I obviously did not want them to die, I'm at least thankful for the fact that neither of them had to experience what I went through."

". . . I can ask Baa-chan to make a grave for them. When you feel better I'll help you plan it. We can do it however you want."

"That would be nice. Thank you Naruto."

Another silence passes by the two of them. Naruto's hand finds itself unconsciously straying to Eri's ears. His fingers slowly wrap around the fuzzy fur and smoothly massage her ear. A deep purr emanates from her throat and she presses herself into his side. Dark brown hair flows over his shoulder as she nuzzles her head further in. This probably would have continued even longer, if a cloaked figure hadn't dropped down in front of the couple. Naruto's figures halt in surprise, Eri moaning at the loss of his pleasurable digits.

When she speaks, for the voice is unarguably female, she seems to be irritated about something. "Sorry to break up things up, but I need to borrow Naruto for a bit."

The shinobi looks up, eyes widening in surprise. "S-Sakura-chan? What's wrong with your face?"

Indeed, something strange is going on. Though her face is shaded by the hood of her cloak, black lines can clearly be seen on her skin. They move in straight lines along her cheeks and across her eyes. One line comes out from the corners of her mouth and turns down to her chin. Several come out from her eyes and make angular bends towards her forehead, jaw, and ears. The only difference in the design is the swirling pattern just above the region between her eyes.

"A seal. Tsunade-sensei said that in order to do . . . _that_ . . . I needed to do this first."

Eri looks at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean _that_? What is a seal?"

Naruto stands, stretching himself out as he does so. "Don't worry about it Eri-chan." He says lightly. "Just some ninja business. So," he turns to Sakura, voice becoming serious. "Baa-chan said yes?"

"Yes, she did. But, well, I can explain once we're with Tsunade-sensei. We can't let anyone hear us. No offense Eri."

"None taken."

"Anyway," continues Sakura "we need to get going. I can call the nurses' station and-"

"No that's alright Sakura-san. I have a pager in my chair. I can call them when I want to go back in."

Naruto squats down to look her in the eyes. "Are you sure? I can take you back if you want."

"No, it sounds like you need to get going. Besides, I'd like to stay out here a little longer."

"Oh, okay." He gives a quick nod of the head. "Well, see ya soon Eri-chan!" Before either of the young women can react, Naruto swiftly pecks Eri's left cheek. And just as quickly, he back flips further into the glade and disappears. Sakura is still for a moment, staring at Eri, when the entire left hand side of her body twitches. Then she too disappears, leaving an impressive crater in the ground.

And Eri, with a face red as a tomato, pulls her blanket over her head.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Amongst those who know of it, to see the entrance to The Sunken Vault is a mighty privilege in itself. To actually enter it is something most ninja in the know never even hope to happen. So when one gets the chance to enter, one should not treat the manner with indifference, but with respect.

In short, don't do what Naruto does.

"It's nothing special." Says the idiot.

The scene is once again set in The Hokage's Private Office. Everything is the same, except for the massive metal cylinder poking up out of the center of the room. The table is set against the wall, along with the rolled up rugs on its top.

The cylinder is two meters in diameter and five tall. A section of the floor, its sides smoothly cut, is secured to the top. And a hole leading into its interior faces the Hokage's desk. It is just barely wide enough for one person to pass through. The sides of the cylinder are polished and smooth, showing no signs of age. Only a tiny sliver of darkness separates the metal from the stone floor.

Naruto stares at it, unimpressed while Sakura stands bent over with one leg in the entrance. "Well? Are you coming are not?" she asks as she turns to look back at him. "If you don't get in now, you'll have to wait for half an hour before I can send it back up. Tsunade-sensei will not be happy about you wasting your time."

He makes a spectacular dive into the cylinder. "Can't keep Baa-chan waiting, can we?"

Sakura smirks as he rights himself in the cramped chamber. While he rises to his feet, Sakura presses her finger to certain spot on the metal. A slight pulse is felt in the air and black lines circle around the spot where her finger resides. Then she drags her finger in an upward arc, then straight to the left towards the door, then down. All along the path of her finger smaller circular patters appear on the metal with a single thick line following her path. Then her finger stabs once just blow the end of the previous path. A rush of blue light runs through the lines before disappearing at the start.

The plate slides up and covers the entrance, and the compartment begins to slide downwards. Naruto stares at the lines before looking to Sakura. "Hey, um Sakura-chan? What's with those . . ."

"They're seals that make this thing move up or down depending on line you draw. It powered by Chakra." She replies shortly.

"Oh." He says weakly. "What about those on your-"

"These are part of the deal that Tsunade-sensei made with me. Essentially it allows her to monitor my Chakra coil for any adverse corruption by the Kyuubi's Chakra."

Naruto nods and is silent for a few moments. He tentatively asks his next question. "Uhh, Sakura-chan, why are you being so cold? Did I do anything?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "No it isn't you Naruto. Its just . . . I'm anxious. It's not that I don't trust the Kyuubi you know. But even though we've taken so many precautions there is always a chance that something could go wrong. And if it does, I may hurt you, and others. I'm worried that-"

She doesn't finish, on account of Naruto wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Don't be." He says. "You're one of the strongest people I know. The fact that you're doing this already proves that you can take anything. I know that no matter what happens, you'll overcome everything. And . . . I stayed strong because-"he tightens his hold. She wraps her arms around him. "-you stood by me even when I lashed out at you. So I'll stand by you. Forever."

Her eyes widen then shut quickly. A few tears trickle out and slowly trail down her face. "Thank you Naruto." She whispers.

"Hmm. Kakashi-sensei. I do not recognize this form of emotion. I have not read it in any of my books and it bears a resemblance to the condition of 'Lust,' or as I have read in slang 'Freak Dancing.'"

". . . Here, read this. It has everything you need to know."

"_Icha Icha Tactics_? Thank you Kakashi-sensei. I will use it well."

The two hugging ninja break apart with eyes wide at the sudden intrusion. Naruto stands ramrod still while Sakura drags a hand across her eyes. At some point during their exchange the ride had stopped at its destination; their teammates Kakashi and Sai must have been waiting for them, because their heads are peeking in through the entrance. Sai has his generic creepy smile on, and Kakashi is grinning through his mask. Behind them is a long stone tunnel lit with patches spaced just far enough apart to hide most of the tunnel in darkness. Very little detail can be discerned other than that.

Putting her foot through the door, Sakura scowls at the two grinning (well, one grinning) ninja. They both step aside to allow her to pass, followed by a nervous Naruto. Giving a stiff nod to her team leader and her teammate, she greets them. "Good afternoon Kakashi-sensei, Sai-san. It's good to see you here."

"Ahh Sakura-chan! Do you really think that you're loving team would not be here for you in such a trying time?"

A blank stare. "Yes."

Kakashi reels back as if wounded. "Gahh! How can you say that to your wonderful sensei? Of course I'd be here for you. And Sai! Sai is here too, both of us, for your emotional support!"

But halfway through his speech Sakura had left, giving him a chance to fling his words at thin air. Some ways down the tunnel footsteps could be heard. Just around the corner the light from a torch catches the two as they walk past, throwing their shadows onto the wall.

Kakashi sighs and whips out his porno book, thumbing to an earmarked page. His face slacks back into its usual state. "Well shall we get going Sai? Don't want to miss anything."

The emotionally challenged boy and his lazy sensei take off at a slow gait.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura plod on down the tunnel at an even pace. The path is made of stone bricks, crudely hewn from whatever quarry they were birthed from and placed here haphazardly. It's as if no one had the time to properly cement them down.but aside from the shoddy bricklaying, another detail is noticeable. All of the stones are unmarked. No signs of age, no scratches, nothing. It seems like the tunnel has not been used since its creation. Adding on to that, the dust accumulated on the surfaces is all thick and even. The built up dust is a sign of stale air and no movement to disturb it. The only clear path is the one that Sakura is walking down. Even then there are a few faint piles that form in the shapes of a shoes suggesting that only a few people have walked in here recently.

The few archaic torches set into the wall are so old the the wood as open pokets that had rotted away. The rags used to fuel the fires are relatively new though. But because they are set so far apart very little light is cast into the tunnel. What results is a rather dark affect on the mood; pools of shadow separate the light and throw deep pits of blackness on the walls. If anyone had been paying attention, they might have felt a spike of trepidation pass through them.

The trek down the tunnel is conducted in silence, for both Naruto and Sakura are far too wrapped up in their thoughts to speak.

Echoing from behind are the footsteps of Kakashi and Sai. It is not in their nature to be talkative.

The faint sounds of conversation can be heard from further up, but it is so muffled that none of the four notice.

The time passes like this, only the act of turning a corner to beak the monotony. So it is rather startling for the ninjas to suddenly find themselves in a new room strikingly different from the corridors behind them.

Sakura is startled because she realized that she had let her mind wander.

Naruto is startled because he too, had paid little attention to his surroundings. And he did not expect something like this.

Kakashi is startled because he bumped into the frozen Naruto, losing his place in a vital scene filled with wet and hot and sticky sex.

And Sai? His creepy smile hides everything.

The light brown of the bricks making up the path ends abruptly at a metal floor. Thirty screws hold the metal down and keep a flat and even surface. This extends for about five meters before it connects to the wall. But is not a wall, actually.

A massive steel door stakes up most of the cave wall, inset in such a way with the stone that one can easily see that this door was put up during the same time as the construction. The ceiling tapers down as it meets the wall, so the door is smaller than most others. Its very shape means everyone there will have to bend over to get in.

Not a single mark adorns the door. It is perfectly smooth from edge to edge. Even the stone walls make a solid and impassible connection with it. The material gleams in a circular pattern from the reflection of the torches. But light is faint and jagged, meaning that the door is not treated with any sealants or preservative chemicals.

Despite the fact that there is no visible way to open or even pass through, Sakura coolly approaches the door. Naruto blinks as he watches her, he being the only one who has barely a clue at what she is going to do. Kakashi and Sai on the other hand, continue with their business.

Just as with the business on the elevator, Sakura jabs her finger at the door. This time, the pattern she traces is far more elegant, complicated, and beautiful.

Naruto marvels at how she's able to memorize its formation. About four minutes have passed and the design covers almost the entire door. Sakura gives a final two taps to what must be the center of the door, and it slowly swings open. The Chakra-powered figure glowing intensely as it does so. Immediately after that a voice sounds out from the next rooming accompanied by a flash of light.

"Well I'm glad to see you're both here, and you took your time too."

"Hey Tsunade-chan! You don't need to say it like that. What she means is, kids, is that we've taken all of the precautions and have finished setting up several redundant safety systems in case of an emergency."

As Naruto's eyes readjust to the new lighting, he takes in his new surroundings. The room is rectangular, twelve meters long, eight high and seven wide. The air is dry and stale but contains very little dust. The floors and walls are far smoother here then the corridor just behind the group. A long window is set in to the wall directly ahead. Glowing seals flow over its surface only slightly impairing visibility. In the left and corner just down the wall are some pieces of medical equipment. And to the right is a large fan with no apparent power source. It is set on the highest setting, vainly stirring the unmoving air. Lastly, two torches are set on each side of walls running the width of the room. Unlike the torches outside, these appear new in every way. Their flickering light is more than enough to illuminate the cramped room.

There are three people already in the room facing the newcomers. Tsunade stands with her hands folded over her considerable chest and an anxious look in her eyes.

"Still, I want to get this over with. Better to do it now than to spend the whole day waiting on it."

The next is a man with long spiky silver hair leaning nonchalantly against the stone next to the window. His posture seems loose, but the tightened facial muscles and the rapid pumping of his foot say otherwise. He outfit is a simple green shirt and pants with a dark brown belt around his waist. In a pile in the far right corner is a red coat and an enormous scroll, his possessions most likely. The man known as Jiraiya the Legendary Toad Sannin replies to his teammate:

"Yeah, but you shouldn't say it like that. They're probably more worried than you are-"

The last person, a man in the standard ANBU uniform sitting with his legs crossed, hunched over and asleep. Yamato is his name.

"Besides, they're here now and discussing things won't make this any faster."

Once everyone has filed into the room and the door is shut, Jiraiya resumes speaking.

"Alright Naruto, Sakura. The room has been sealed and insulated, so no one can interfere with you unless they pass through this door." He taps a section of wall which slides away to open up the entrance into the next room. "If you need help or if something goes wrong, we'll know. Just remember that it might take us some time, since we might not be able to tell whether or not you actually need help or if you are just suffering the side effects of the sealing."

Now Tsunade speaks up. "So do you two know how you're going to contact The . . . Kyuubi?" she asks, halting at the dread name.

The teammates glance at each other before nodding. "We do."

"Alright" replies Tsunade, apprehension and worry seeping into her voice. "Go in there and do what you need to do."

They both bow before walking through the door. With each step Naruto and Sakura's minds become cloudy as they distance themselves from reality. They withdraw into their minds, to prepare to meet the Kyuubi and to keep themselves in an emotionally neutral state. If they are filled with too much emotion, then the results could be disastrous.

This new room is a perfect cube, five meters by five meters. The two ninja sit cross-legged in the center with their knees touching. Both take a few moments to regulate their breathing before they look into each other's eyes. Then their foreheads connect.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**So let me get this straight, she gets you and the Chakra, with big buffs at a price; his Chakra and yours are interchangeable and can change to either one; and the other girl is just a full blown youkai right?**

**Hanyou.**

**Whatever. . . Now, this is how its going down right? Possibly a few differences nothing major?**

**Yes.**

**Good. 'Cause you know, if something happens that I don't approve of, then you could get some serious hurt coming your way.**

**I know. And you can take it to heart that I will never do anything against him or Sakura. I'll even do my best to suppress the demonic nature that-**

**Now now, no need to do that. **

**W-what? Why? If the villagers or others learn-**

**Don't worry; they'll be cool with it in the future. In fact, some while probably be even happier, knowing that you'll be under even tighter security now.**

**Are you sure?**

**. . . I don't even know where to begin telling you about how offensive that is.**

**And I don't know where to begin telling you how rude you are. I thought someone of your power would be more – gracious.**

**Lady, I can get a whole lot worse.**

**. . . sorry.**

**Thank you. Anyways, I want to see how the demonic nature they will gain will influence other humans. I've never studied the demons of your world so I am curious.**

**Voyeur.**

**For Science.**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The water once again fills the chamber as Naruto and Sakura stare at the cage of the Great Kyuubi. Both wear serious expressions as they stare into the inky darkness that is the demon's lair.

Seeing no one moving about, Naruto swiftly strides up to the bars and delivers a swift kick. "Hey Kyuubi! Get your furry ass over here!"

Just as swiftly Sakura cuffs his ear. "Don't talk to her like that! Can you at least lay off of her for a bit?"

He grumbles incoherently.

As if on command, Kyuubi emerges from the darkness. Today she is clad once more in a ornate and fabulous kimono depicting scenes of two foxes frolicking under a Sakura tree.

The imagery blows past Naruto but hits Sakura, her eyes wide at such a blunt suggestion.

**So I take it you have agreed to my proposal? **She asks as a pleasant smile grows on her face.

A terse nod from Naruto. "Yeah. But I'm doing this only because of Sakura-chan."

She inclines her head. **Still, thank you for agreeing. Not only are you helping me, but also yourselves.**

"You're welcome Kyuubi-san. Now, about the seals-"

**Wait, **the demon interrupts. **Just let me go over everything again so that you are sure. Because I don't want you yelling at me if something happens that I didn't mention. **This last comment is directed at Naruto.

She takes a breath. **You'll both draw the seals while you're in a trance, such as now. It should only take about an hour. Then you'll have to strip down completely.**

Neither ninja knows whether to be giddy of embarrassed.

Then something occurs to Sakura. "Wait, how will we stay connected in here if we are separated?"

**Holding hands works fine. You just need to have enough contact to share Chakra.**

"Alright."

**Anyway, after that, sit just a meter apart from each other over the center of the room and I will take care of the rest. By that I mean that I will guide you through the jutsu. After it is completed, you should rest for two days at least. By then, Sakura, my soul will have nested onto yours and we will be able to switch places. Unfortunately, it will take some practice before you can use my Chakra. And for you Naruto, even though you are losing three tails worth of my Chakra, you have more than enough to make up for it.**

Naruto stares at her in surprise.

**For nearly your entire life your Chakra Coil has generated both my Chakra and yours. Somehow, its evolved to a point where your system can convert human Chakra into demonic, and vice-versa.**

**The only other side-effect I can think of is that some people may be affect by your new Chakra, so be aware that some may act strangely for a while.**

**That's all I've got to say. So, what will it be?**

Sakura nods resolutely. "I'm ready."

Naruto sighs, and then stares hard at The Kyuubi. "I'll do it. But it's not for you."

She looks away, hurt.

"So, when will the seals be done?" Asks Sakura. A few moments pass before The Kyuubi answers.

"They are."

"How-"

"Time passes differently here" the demon simply answers.

"Oh."

The kimono rustles as The Kyuubi turns to face Naruto. "When you are ready, meditate. I'll be there."

And with out so much as a goodbye, they are forced out.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Green and Blue eyes flutter as their owners return to consciousness. At least it is a less painful way to wake up.

Just as they shake themselves awake, Jiraiya taps his finger against the glass. Both turn to look at his smiling visage. "So you kids are awake eh? Good, because we were getting a little bored." Naruto blinks at his sensei, and then looks down at himself while Sakura inspects the room that the two had painted on. While many aspects defy description, some parts are familiar to the pink-haired kunoichi. She marvels at the fact that she and Naruto were able to make them.

"So what happens now?" Asks Tsunade.

Sakura and Naruto hesitate for a few seconds before the former answers. "Everyone except for Tsunade-sensei, turn around." The males glance at each other in confusion before they see Naruto removing his shirt and Sakura with her index finger curled into the zipper of her shirt. They perform a quick about face.

As Naruto strips down, he stops at his shorts and looks up. "Sakura-chan, you've seen naked guys before right? Since you're a medic and all . . ."

She answers him while unhooking her bra. "Yep, only in books and scrolls though, so you shouldn't be embarrassed."

"Thanks, that makes me feel a . . . little bit better." And off go the boxers, just as a pair of panties fly onto a pile of pink clothes. As the two take their positions, Naruto is entranced for a moment by the seals on Sakura's body. They pulse and glow with a dazzling light as the paths race up and down her body. This is the first Full-Body seal that Naruto has seen.

"And just what are you looking at Naruto?" Asks an irate Sakura. Naruto backs off and looks up at her with a smile.

"Just admiring the body-work Sakura-chan."

She smirks and cracks her knuckles. "Well, keep admiring at your own risk, because this isn't a peepshow."

Both seat themselves on the cold floor. As they do so the men standing with their backs turned give the two ninja a thumb up.

"Good luck."

"Don't screw up!"

"We're here for you!"

Each man says as encouragement while Sai uses cleverly placed mirrors to draw a picture of the scene behind him. Tsunade simply smiles at them.

"Emboldened by her friends, Sakura turns to Naruto. "Whenever you are." she says.

He bows his head, and focuses. Despite his initial arousal at the situation, Naruto reclaims his concentration. And, though he will never truly remember what he did. Naruto begins to activate the jutsu, and with Kyuubi's guidance, use the SYS.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Arcs of light . . .**

**Strings . . . **

**Pull . . . feel . . . **

**Reveals . . . **

**Send away . . . **

**Find . . . **

**Arch . . . **

**Bridge . . . **

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The air compresses and twists. The seals flare wildly as crimson Chakra explodes out. Tsunade covers her eyes as the light grows in intensity. The men, having taken a look, turn to face the wall again, blinded by a flash.

The seals lurch and shiver, disconnecting from the walls like a vine pulled out of a cliff. Twisting in the air like a dying snake the black things fall back onto Naruto. As the crimson light pumps through them they encircle the boy and wrap around his body. Some peel off from the ground and attach to his body while others pull themselves up to his mouth.

Without a seconds notice they plunge in, sinking themselves into the shinobi's unknown core. Form here the quake and jerk about. But they suddenly stop whilst hanging in midair. For some moments they stay like this before they begin to bend. Strands curl and wrap around each other. Some arc upwards and out; other strands grasp these and latch on, just as others grab on. Some curved cylinder forms out of the black ropes, stretching towards Sakura. It takes two minutes for the thing to form into its final shape.

Now a Naruto and Sakura are connected by this black monstrosity. All the while the red light grows even more. Suddenly, the object lights up with a white shine. An orb of pure white follows the strands from Naruto's mouth to Sakura's. All around it the air seems to compress and collapse over this light. The group just behind the mirror can only hold onto the walls as a sickening nausea rushes over them. It seems like an eternity for the light to finally roll down Sakura's mouth, taking with it its distorting effect. And for a few seconds everything is quiet.

And then the window shatters and the walls crack. A maelstrom of red Chakra explodes from Naruto and bursts down the black strands. The sound of a million bonfires hits the room like a bomb, sending everyone's senses haywire. They stagger about as the crimson waves wash over them. Suddenly the Chakra is pulled back into the black object.

Flashes of red burst past the dazed ninja as everything in both rooms is tugged towards the object. The sound turns from a deep resonance to a high-pitched whine. For a mere three seconds this lasts; this time, no one was in their right mind to keep track of the time.

Then, everything stops abruptly. Only a faint trace of red light is left in the object. Naruto and Sakura are the only things that were unmoved. Small shards of glass glisten in the light from the last remaining torch. The medical equipment is nothing more than a mile of scrape, and any stray articles of clothing are gone.

All of the ninja lie facedown on the floor either unconscious or dazed. While their clothing is not torn, it is defiantly disheveled. Even Kakashi's hair is pointing in a different direction.

The first to stir is Tsunade, followed by Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sai and then Yamato. Their knees quiver and quake from the ordeal. Some of them also look rather green.

Sai bends over with his right hand on his right knee while his left hand rests on the wall. "Well," he says "that was a little more violent than I expected but-"

Within the span of a second the remaining red light in the black object flares up brighter than before. The air around it is explosively compressed at terrifying speeds. The rock wall in the smaller chamber cracks and snaps, expanding under the force. Part of the wall separating the two rooms rips apart into tiny fragments. And the still weakened ninja are sent right back into the wall, and into the Land of Dreams.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

For many years the residents of Konoha have believed that the flora deep within the forest atop the Hokage Mountain is some of the best ingredients for tea and nutrient rich dishes. The leaves of these plants have a healthy green shine that surpasses all others. And for anyone hoping to put some extra kick into a dish, they know that the deeper the green, the better.

So it is no wonder that the two healthiest, most energetic, youthful and greenest ninjas in Konoha would be performing their daily workouts here.

The soft loam of the earth explodes up into the air as twin green blurs speed across the forest. Their velocity is so great that the air is pulled along behind them, along with every stray bit of plant in the forest. The sound of their passing was like having a brick thrown into one's head.

It kill's.

It would have continued on like this, the two blurs tearing up the forest and killing many a woodland creature, were it not for the sudden rumbling. Both blurs halt their movement while debris continues on past them under their own momentum. A gust of wind whirls around them sending loose leaves and dirt through the air.

The two blurs are both ninja; possibly the strangest alive. Both are clad in full body green spandex, which looks silly and somewhat revealing, acts as rather effective camouflage in the forest. A red Haite-ate is tied around both waists with the symbol for Konoha on the center metal plate. Orange leg warmers adorn both men, with the standard nin-pouch on their Haite-ate/belt. And their faces are similar in that both have black bowl-cut hair with immense eyebrows. They are alike in everyway, save for the younger ninja's shortness and unnaturally large eyes.

The youth, standing on his hands with ten pound weights hanging from his toes stares up at the elder Clone. "Gai-sensei," he says "did you feel that?"

The taller of the duo looks down at his protégé with a serious look.

Or as serious as one can be with their leg tied behind their back, barefoot and carrying a half-eaten plate of curry in their hands.

"Yes I did Lee. It seems to have come from somewhere underground." He looks down at the earth. "I don't know what it was, but I think we should go report this to Hokage-sam-"

He freezes in mid-sentence as Lee suddenly stiffens. Eyes glaze over and mouths hang slack. Lee speaks with his voice so quiet that only Gai can hear him. "Gai-sensei. I feel . . . I feel . . ."

His teacher responds in the same fashion. "You too, Lee? This feeling . . . its . . . its . . ."

"**THE EXPLOSION OF THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!!!"**

They scream to the sky, hearts filled with rapture at this wonderful feeling. Gai, with stars in his eyes, looks down at his most precious student. "Lee-kun. I no longer feel I have the energy to run five-hundred laps around Konoha."

His young copy cries out in shock. "Wha-what! Gai-sensei! I thought you said-"

"I no longer have the energy, for this Springtime has taken it. And in its place has given me the Youth to . . . RUN ONE-THOUSAND LAPS AROUND THE ENTIRE SHINOBI NATION!!!"

"Oh-oh Gai-sensei!" Lee cries with tears in his eyes. "I feel it too! My heart is bursting with youth!"

"I feel you with all my heart Lee! Now, let us run, run into that wonderful sunset! Lee-kun!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee-kun!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee-kun!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee-kun!"

And they speed off into the distance, nearly double their previous speed.

Crying tears of joy all the way.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Scrit-scrat**

**Scritchy-scratchy-scwirrrt**

**Flllooop**

**Splip-splup**

**Ffwwwuuuu**

**Scri-**

**Thum!**

"**My Lord!"**

**Sscccrrrzzzzzttt!**

"**What is it!? How dare you come in here unannounced! What could be-"**

"**Urusa is gone!"**

"**Heh heh. That's funny. Sounds like you said that Urusa is gone. But that's impossible since I have such skilled and trustworthy guards like you to watch after him."**

"**My lord . . ."**

"**Yes . . .?"**

"**Urusa . . . Urusa really did escape. He-"**

**Zzzwwwiiinng!**

**Ssssshunk!**

**Thump**

**s-plip plop**

"**EEEEEYYYYYAAAAGGGGHHH!!!"**

"**YOU IDIOTIC LITTLE FUCKER! You let him leave!?"**

"**Ha-ha-h-I tried, but-but he killed Daiki and Goro and I couldn't-couldn't do it . . . he said he wanted to kill-"**

"**I don't give a fuck about what you couldn't do, you little shit! If he wanted to kill something you three should have thrown yourselves in his room and let him tear you apart! You would be much more fucking useful then, damn it!"**

"**Ah-eeggghhh-hua-ha-I ap-apologize m-my lord."**

"**SHUT UP! Get out of my sight and get everyone out there! Tell them to find him or I'll deal with the personally."**

"**Buh-bu-but my ha-hand."**

**Shhhrrruunkk!  
**

**Tap-tap-tap**

"**Oooff!"**

"**I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT YOUR FUCKING HAND YOU BITCH! YOU GET OUT THERE AND SEARCH UNTIL YOU BLEED OUT AND DIE IN YOUR OWN SHIT! If everything I've worked for falls apart because of you I'll, I'll . . .**

**NNNRRRRRAAAGGHHHH!!!"**

"**Ha-ha-hu! Yes m-my lord. I live to serve."**

"**GO!"**

**Thum!**

**Tap-tap-tap**

"**Heh."**

"**Hah-ha."**

"**Keh-he-heh."**

"**KYAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH****-HAH-HAH-HAH!!!"**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

The four Jounin leap from tree to tree as the late afternoon sun shines brightly on them. Their Haite-ate proclaim to the world that they are Ninja of Konoha. This small group is just passing through the southeastern edge of The Border Wood; a long stretch of forest that covers the borders between the Land of the Waterfall, the Land of Sound, the Land of Fire and the countries between the two.

In the lead is a kunoichi who seems to land heavily after each of her jumps. She bears two lengths of thick chain, each wound four times around her shoulders. Their ends connect to a metal clasp around both of her wrists. The other ends link to metal hoops with latch-locks that poke out of her Jounin jacket. Her raven hair is cropped short with uniform spikes pointing backwards. Her face is hard with tough, barely moving skin and a sharp, angular bone structure. Her eyes are a flinty grey. She wears the standard Konoha Jounin's outfit, save for the sleeveless shirt and chain-link long skirt that opens in the front.

Just half a leap behind her is her subordinate shinobi. A strong jaw and hard eyebrows give him the look of one who is perpetually cranky. His dark auburn hair is long and wavy; some bangs fall down to cover the tops of his eyes. There is actually little to say about him, since he looks like most ordinary shinobi.

Next to him is another shinobi who stands out much better than his comrade. His face is light and young, a smile stretching his features. A ponytail of purple-dyed hair whips about in the air. Contrasting sharply with this color is the green-dyed hair pulled over his scalp. A small scroll is hooked onto his shoulders, hips, calves, and two are in the front pockets of his Jounin jacket.

Last, at two leaps behind the rest, is a shinobi with a black cloak. Instead of a hood it has a high collar. None of his features can be seen since he has a pitch black blindfold on. A bandanna covers his hair; unlike the rest of his outfit, it is mottled green and black. The only other feature is the pack of playing cards attached to the collar.

Every time he lands he tilts to the left, takes a few moments to reposition himself, and then he's off again.

The shinobi with the unnaturally colored hair looks back at his comrade. The smile stays of course, but with concerned eyes. "Hey Teshima, how ya' holdin' up?"

Without moving his head the robed one responds. "It has started hurting again. I believe we should stop soon and re-bandage my wound. I think it is reopening."

Suddenly, as soon as Teshima's foot lands on a branch, his left leg buckles under his weight and he slips from the tree. Not a sound escapes from his mouth, as he is too surprised to say anything.

The shinobi next to the wild-haired one swiftly rolls forward in the air until he is facing the sky. Upon landing on a limb, he scrunches up his body and pushes off back and down. By bending and straightening his legs in a certain way, the shinobi is able to transfer his momentum into his next jump. But he can't do it if the angle is too wide or too shallow.

Again he flips in mid flight, and turns so that he faces the trunk of the tree he just left. Just as before, he pushes off the branch and flies down through the air. This time he hits the tree facing the robed-one's falling body. With a finally push he sails through the air. Stretching out his arms, the Jounin manages to get a tight hold on the other man's waist despite the voluminous clothing.

Spinning once through the air he points his bent legs towards the ground rushing up to meet him. In doing so, he cushions himself from the impact of landing and prevents himself from falling over.

It also makes some very cool furrows in the ground.

Anyway, the catch was successful, and the rest of the ninja drop down from the trees to join the duo. "Good catch Murase!" Exclaims the scrolled-one. "Though ya didn't need to show off all ya' fancy flyin' crap."

Murase stiffly stands in the overturned earth and Teshima places both his legs on the ground. With Murase's right arm around his shoulders as a support Teshima limps to a nearby log in the small clearing they now occupy. His limp left leg drags a small pile of fallen leaves.

Teshima takes a seat on a section not totally overgrown with moss. As he does so, Murase and the other shinobi lift his leg at the knee and ankle, respectively. Murase flicks back a part of the cloak to reveal - not surprisingly - black pants. These too are rolled up but with more delicacy than the previous article of clothing.

White first-aid bandages are wrapped all over his calf. The layers are uneven and crooked, meaning that the person who made it had no time to be through. A dark splotch of blood stains the inside section. Even little rivulets of blood flow down and soak into the shoe.

A quick glance down and Teshima responds grimly. "It seems my wound is worse than I previously thought. I think a tighter patch is need before we can continue. If you think that is possible, Shiomi."

The kunoichi tilts her head up and replies tonelessly. "Yes, I think I have enough time. It will still be a rush job though. I'm also gon'a need you to make a scan Teshima. Murase, Sugita, fan out." She says, with a slight twitch of her head at the end.

The other two nod their heads before leaping up. They quickly scale the trees before disappearing into the foliage above.

While Shiomi uses a small pair of medical scissors to cut away the bloody bandage, Teshima holds his hands in front of himself. In a flash he forms twenty-seven hand seals ending with the bird seal.

"**Opaque Silver Pupils of the Seeking Soul**."

His index fingers rise up and touch his temples underneath the blindfold. At the point of contact small silver seals etch their way across the black material. There are no straight lines, only curves and two large spirals where the eyes should be.

A minute later Shiomi is applying some antiseptic after a basic medical jutsu when Teshima's head snaps sharply to the right. Faster still, his left hand whips up to the pack of cards on his collar. A single card is removed; his arm winds back so fast that it can not be seen. Then in a flash, his wrist snaps and the card is flying through the air.

As the piece of white paper disappears into a hedge Murase and Sugita are already in the air. Both are crouched in the air. Murase holds a kunai in both hands while Sugita has a scroll in his left hand and his right curled into a fist. Quickly they descended on the puffy foliage that Teshima just hit.

In no time at all the two shinobi reappear from the leaves. Held between them is a shinobi in the standard Oto-Jounin uniform except that his shirt and pants are a mottled dark green and his scarf is much larger. He struggles madly against his captors. Murase holds the legs underneath his arms while Sugita has his right arm wrapped around the Oto-nin's right. His left arm is limp, a playing card sticking out of his shoulder.

The two struggle with their prisoner all the way to their partners' seat. Shiomi watches the group blankly as they approach, eyes betraying nothing. Once they are a few feet away from her, Murase grips the ninja's legs tighter and steps forward between his legs. By placing his right foot on the opponent's chest, the Konoha-nin pins him down. Sugita on the other hand places his heel on the neck for a potential kill.

She looks down impassively at him. "So I suppose you are one of the trackers." He says nothing. "I guess I should be impressed that you caught up to us so fast. But, it doesn't matter. By the time your ninja have reached this place we will be long gone. I don't like to kill for no reason, so we will just knock you out and be on our way. How about that?"

He responds with a flick of the wrist. "That may be true, but my division is built to track and ambush, not for brute force. They'll be here very soon." As he is speaking, all four look up to see a white speck fly up from his hand. Suddenly the speck bursts into red light spewing voluminous puffs of black and red smoke through the sky. Their eyes widen in surprise as the beacon arcs through the air. So surprised in fact, that Sugita does not even notice when he breaks the Oto-nin's neck and windpipe.

Almost immediately everyone is scrambling. "Murase!" shouts Shiomi, "Take lookout! Sugita! Come help me!" The next few moments are a blur as one person races about the treetops for any sign on danger while the other two try to patch up a wounded leg as best they can, and the last trying not to scream.

Shiomi holds in her left hand a pair of tweezers tipped in blood. In her other hand is a roll of heavy duty bandages. Sugita stands just behind her, hands held over a kunai with fire from his mouth turning it red hot. She pulls open the largest gash and spies a piece of shrapnel lodged between the bottom layer of the skin and projecting a centimeter through the muscle. Slowly but deliberately she grasps the metal with her tweezers, speaking to Teshima as she does so. "Alright, I'm not gonna have time to remove the rest of the little bitches but this is enough. After this Sugita will seal the biggest wounds and we'll get the hell out of here. How's that sound?"

". . . Fuck."

"He sounds better than usual!" Sugita chirps.

Shiomi gives a slight tug. "Got it." She says. The tweezers drip with blood, a fragment of metal held in the jaws. Sugita practically leaps forward with the red-hot kunai held aloft, giving Shiomi barely any time to shove the bandages into Teshima's mouth.

The hot metal sings as it burns into the various cuts and smoke swirls up from the sizzling flesh. Shiomi keeps her eyes shut, trying to drown out Teshima's moans; Sugita is more concerned with doing a good job.

Soon the job is finished, and the greatest wounds have been sealed. But the victim - or patient – is still in pain. Yet nothing can be done, so Shiomi commences with the binding of his leg. In lieu of the bandages Teshima opts for chomping on his collar whilst squeezing the life out of Sugita's hand.

She is finished, and none too soon. From the trees above comes Murase tumbling through the air. He rights himself just before impact though, and pulls out three kunai sticking out of his chest. He is panting, sweat and s few drops of blood on his skin. "Shit!" He shouts. "They're here!"

Shiomi turns, shocked. "What!? Now!"

"Yep, right now." A voice cries out from nowhere. "And it looks like our prey is all here, and sitting pretty too." If one had sharp enough hearing, one might be able to discern laughter. "Well you ought to be, seeing as how you four attacked and killed fifteen men under my command. That takes some balls I gotta say. And if you don't mind, I think I'll be taking them."

Sugita glances at Teshima, silently questioning him. "Hey bro' can you check the place out? We need an escape route. Just tell me the spot and I'll get us out of here."

Teshima grunts in annoyance. Releasing Sugita's hand, he forms a familiar set of twenty-seven handseals. Again he places his fingertips to his blindfold, this time using a light that is both red and silver.

"**Crimson Hound Seeking the Beating Heart**."

"Well if you're going to kill us, get down here and make it quick. I hate pricks who think they are too good to face their opponent head on." Says Shiomi with a thick voice, a strong sense of mortality setting in.

Voices above now reply in one voice with an obnoxiously sad tone. "Oh poor lady! We are ever so sorry, but we are much too meek to fight hand-to-hand. Death by metal rain and fire it is for you!" From the leaves to the left of the group at least thirty Oto-nins appear, wearing the same uniform as their fallen comrade. In their hands are with clumps of shuriken or explosive tags tied to kunai. Two are holding at least four fuma shuriken.

Teshima's head swivels side to side, slowly taking in the environment without any one noticing. As his head turns back to look to the right he suddenly snaps back and screams. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"

From the air comes an almighty whistling sound, like the sound of a bomb falling through the air. The treetops burst apart and trunks bend as three immense objects hurtle through the air. The sun shines on them, so they appear only as silhouettes against the bright sky.

Teshima, with his grip still on Sugita, pushes away backwards from the log using his good leg. The blast of pain momentarily blinds him however, cutting short their flight and sending both straight towards the ground. But, Sugita deftly saves them both by hauling himself forward and stomping down with his right foot. Pushing all of his strength into his leg, he springs up towards a tree directly ahead. Using Chakra they make a safe landing.

Shiomi and Murase have an easier time of it, leaping away behind the nearby trees.

Once the flying objects drop below the treetops, the sunlight leaves them, revealing three tree trunks. With bases ripped and torn and great furrows in the bark they look as if some wild animal had taken offence to them.

One smashes in the center of the clearing, causing a small tremor and knocking over the only log in the area. It stands upright for a few moments before tipping over. It's other end, deprived of branches, crashes into another tree. Without anything to prop it up, the trunk rolls off and falls to the ground. All that follows is a dull thud accompanied by several leaves swirling through the air. A bit of dirt forms to the shape of the fallen trunk.

The second slams base first into another tree's midsection. For an imperceptible amount of time it hangs there, leaning against the healthy tree. But quietly, several cracks sound out. Then more are heard. Soon there is a cacophony of snaps as the fibers holding the tree together shred apart. The thrown trunk falls flat to the ground but the victim's tilts back at an angle. Two trees behind it have the strength to take its weight giving the fibers enough time to stabilize. Unfortunately this tree is dead, for half the trunk is disconnected.

The last one also lands base first in the ground. But instead of toppling over, its momentum pulls the back end of the trunk over, nearly righting it. Now the tree stands tall pointing to the sky at an angle.

A few seconds pass and no one moves. Suddenly another dark shape leaps from the shadowed forest. Raucous laughter emanates from it, sending tendrils of fear into all that stand here. It lands a mere nine meters from Murase. Its immense weight causes a crater. Now that it has stopped moving, all can see it for its full glory.

The being is around twelve meters tall; though it is taller still, since it is hunched over. The stench is unbearable and causes not too few eyes to water. Burly muscles bulge on every inch of its frame. A barrel chest and biceps tight with uncontrolled power stretch back and forth over the creature's body. Thick, coarse brown fur covers its body in unwashed clumps. Bits of blood and other materials can clearly be seen. The hands are four-fingered: claws extend and retract into fingers so wide that a man could not grip them. Its feet also have four digits and are caked with earth and leaves. The entire body is huge in epic proportions, a weapon in and of itself.

The face is like that of a personified bear. The teeth are more fangs than anything else, and the lips flare out with foam flying out into the air. Spittle and saliva course down the beast's jaw and fall to the collarbone where it dries. There the fur is brittle and scratchy. Ears perched on the top of its head point straight at the Konoha Jounin, warning them that they are its prey. The eyes are the most worrying aspect of the bear-like creature. The iris is gone, replaced by the fully dilated pupil. In the left eye red veins criss-cross the white plane, making it look like a dry desert with rivers of blood flowing into a small, black oasis. The right eye is filled with blood, swollen and dark. Unlike the left which is almost constantly moving, the right wiggles minimally and can barely tilt upward.

A vest made of what resembles leather is worn across the beast's chest. Gold trim is wound around the openings for the shoulders and down the sides. The base fabric is purple and a pattern of alternating blue stripes and red and white threads woven into a braid are sown on top.

Chain mail is wrapped around its abdomen and held on with a black studded belt. This is tucked underneath the hem of its shalwar, which is also purple. The waist and ankle hems are both stitched with a gold colored thread.

The clothing would have looked refine and rather comfortable, if it were not so bloodied and dirtied.

The creature looks up, red eyes staring at each of the Konoha Jounin. Its breath is heaving and heavy, as if in anticipation. None of the four dare move.

Meanwhile, in the trees, the head shinobi glances at each of the ninja under his command. "Looks like one of those demons was sent here to help us. I guess he was finally put under control. Even still," He glances down into the clearing "I don't want to be here even if he is on our side. Alright, listen up. We're going to head back to the caravan. We'll wait a good ten minutes before we come back here to pick up the pieces. That should be enough time for him to calm down. If the demon runs away then we can convince it to head back with us. If not, we'll have to call for back up. Everyone got that?" All nod. "Good. Let's go."

And they are gone.

The left eye swivels up a bit, then centers back on the group. "So," it says, voice deep and strong "You are strong humans, yes? Tough bodies, mighty muscle, yes?" The voice is throaty and rumbles every time he utters a sound, the Jounin's chests quiver.

"I smell your -" he points to Teshima "- far away from here. Good blood I think. Blood that makes me happy. I want to fight, I want to eat. Blood that makes my heart skip! Full of glee I be when dead you are inside of me! Leap, leap Urusa the Mad! Make your great meal of these young lads! Hip-hip-hippity hop little nuggets into my mouth! Uwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-heeee!" The Jounin stand stiff, shocked at his words and his manner. A deep revulsion seeps through their souls as they stare at this battle-maddened demon. So entranced were they that they had little time to react to his assault.

His image blurs and fades, reappearing in front of Teshima. Urusa wheels back and swings with all his might. A direct hit on Teshima; so strong it is that the bear-demon loses his balance. For the Jounin, things are looking down. As his body twists through the air he becomes righted with his feet towards a tree. On contact his injured leg takes all of the force, and crumples under him. The sealed wounds reopen and the bones splinter. So great is the pain that he loses consciousness instantly. The body slumps to the ground, the left calf broken and bloody.

Sugita, upon feeling his friend's hand ripped from his grip, spins to face Urusa's arm. With focused speed he whips out a kunai and drags it across the demon's arm. While Urusa is still off balance, Sugita clambers atop the limb and wields a shuriken in his other hand. Crouching low, he runs down the length of the arm, cutting two long gashes.

But, he has no time to evade the other hand, which comes up to swipe away the little pest. The damage done is not nearly enough.

As their comrade falls to the ground, Murase and Shiomi both take action.

Leaping into the air, Murase pulls out three smoke bombs from his pouch. Urusa does not notice, because he has his eyes on Shiomi. Taking advantage of the distraction, the shinobi throws the lit bombs right into the face of the demon. The explosion spews smoke everywhere, but mainly into Urusa's eyes. He screams and claws at the grey gas, alarmed at the sudden attack. While he is still in the air, Murase equips himself with three kunai, each with an explosive tag.

Shiomi, seeing her cue, forms a string of forty-three handseals.

"**Seven Hands Fine Living Chains!**"

Next, her arms straighten out and blue Chakra flows from her hands to the heavy bracelets on her wrists. At first nothing happens, but then the jutsu takes effect. A blue flash from the chains brings them to life. The latch on her shoulder unlocks and the wound up chains come free. Both hover in the air, twisting and curling around her arms like snakes. Then, when the kunoichi is at the edge of the smokescreen, she throws her arms out in a whipping motion. The chains follow her arms and arc through the air. After that they come back down into the smoke. For a fraction of a second they are slack, but then suddenly become tight. Smirking, she forces the chains to bend to the right, throwing her body into the act. At first the going is slow, but with mind boggling speed she spins her body. Only the chains can be seen following her until Urusa sails out of the smoke. With both wrists tied together by the chains, he has no choice but to follow. And so he does, feet barely touching the ground.

Murase, prepared ahead of time, turns in mid-air to face the demon. All he does is give a quick throw to stick the kunai into Urusa's thick fur. No damage is done, and he is just about to laugh, until the tags explode.

Sugita takes a few moments to regain his bearings. The hit from the demon was powerful, too much to handle in close combat. An idea is about to form in his mind, but then he sees the object of his thoughts wreathed in flames and flying through the air towards a tree. With a burst of speed he runs to Urusa's landing spot. Sugita forms thirteen handseals, keeping his eyes constantly on the demon. Then, he plunges his fingers, palms up, into the earth. Releasing his Chakra and lifting up at the same time he forms the:

"**Secret Stone Art: Strong Porcupine's Hardened Back!"**

A square chunk of earth flips up into the air, sending up loose dirt and twigs. The wall stands at an angle, under which Sugita stands. With his back to the wall he places his palms on the earth, arms straight. Suddenly every inch of the wall is covered in thirty centimeter spikes.

The airborne fireball slams headfirst into this.

He screams out in pain, both hands clutching his head as the jutsu breaks apart and the fires become extinguished. All the ninja closely watch as he stumbles forward. Still holding his head, Urusa leans against the tree he had been thrown towards. The three begin to relax, but do not lose their guard.

But faster than the eye can see Urusa spins around to face Shiomi. His right hand index finger traces a symbol on the back of his hand, and then he drags it down his forearm, finally turning down at a ninety-degree angle to the elbow. Each of his left hand claws glow brightly as a sick grin parts his foam-flecked lips. He dashes forward with his hand held out.

Shiomi, knowing she can not dodge, takes a strong stance and prepares to counter.

"**Shiraq-Goh: Rugan Sytrat Yog!"**

His hand thrusts forward, flames bursting from the claws and licking at his fur. Shiomi motions with her arms for the chains to wrap around the burly arm. Then she swings her arms by, passing the furry body to her left. But not without injury, for a single claw bit into her side, taking with it a chunk of her flash and muscle. Speechless, she collapses to her knees and begins to hyperventilate, the shock over loading her mind.

Urusa on the other hand, has his fist buried in a tree. The attack he used was so powerful, that he instantly burned away the trunk of the tree. Smirking, he shoulders the tree as it falls forward onto him. Then, without bracing himself against the ground, bends backwards to slam the tree onto the kunoichi.

Murase leaps forward to save her. He lands on his left leg then reaches around her waist. Pulling her tight he pushes forward, sending them out of harm's way. Taking their place is Sugita, who lands right where Shiomi sat and pulls out one of his scrolls. Acutely aware of the impending doom, he unrolls the scroll until three large seals are visible. Aiming for Urusa's legs he charges the paper with Chakra.

"**Reach from the Darkness! Black Spear Many Strikes!"**

The seals radiate a black light for a split second, before a long black pole emerges from them. It extends at an incredible pace, one that the demon can not outpace. Two out of three of the sharpened tips of the spears find their target: Urusa's calves.

Once more he roars out in pain, dropping the tree at the same time. Luckily it falls away from Sugita.

The seals disappear and the shinobi rolls the scroll back up again, smiling at his attack. But the smugness is not appreciated by the demon now standing behind him.

The wind is knocked out of him as Urusa kicks Sugita in the back. As the human floats up from the hit, the demon hammers down with his fist, burying the human in the dirt. While pulling back his fist Urusa uses his other hand to pick Sugita up by the collar. Holding the ninja up to his nose, he smiles sickeningly. "Hey there little buttercup. How's my little yum – yum doin' today? What's that my little yum – yum?" Now he speaks in a whisper. "You want to get in my tum – tum?" Now his voice returns to normal. "Okay little yum –yum, lets go into my tum – tum!" The demon opens wide to receive his snack; Sugita struggles against the unbreakable grip holding him still.

Just before the shinobi could be deprived of his head, a pair of chains wraps themselves around Urusa's neck. Shiomi, standing with her feet on the small of the demon's back and her arms bent in front of her, pulls downwards on the chains. Her side still hurts, but the quick medical jutsu from both herself and Murase put her back in fighting shape.

Urusa gurgles as the metal cruelly digs into his throat, cutting off his circulation and airflow. As his back arcs backwards he releases Sugita from his hold, who falls to his feet and stumbles backwards. At the same time Murase charges in and slices at Urusa's Achilles' heel. Though the blade of his kunai does not bite, he keeps up his attack.

Soon the angle of his back becomes too much, and Urusa falls backwards. As fast as they can Shiomi drops to the ground and pushes away, sailing through the air; Murase jumps up between Urusa's legs and during his flight he spins to face the demon, unloading all of his explosive tags, two smoke bombs, and most of his shuriken into the demon. The explosions rip apart the earth and form a small crater around the demon, who lays stunned in the center.

Amidst the smoke and fire from the detonating tags Sugita stands. His hands grasp for the scrolls on his shoulders and ankles. Holding them out in front of himself he tosses the group at the massive figure in the smoke. They unfurl in the air, completely unrolling and curving around the dome of smoke. Each has at least forty seals.

The shinobi forms ten handseals.

"**Inescapable Conviction: 100-Percent Coverage Black Spear Many Strikes!"**

The four scrolls break apart; each seal is on its own piece of paper. They swarm around the dome pulsing with black light. And, just as before, the light disappears and the seal transforms into a spear. This time, they surround the crater and all aim for the dark lump in the center.

The sound of wet flesh being penetrated is heard.

The three conscious ninja wait in silence as the smoke passes. Sugita, fearing that if he removes the spears he might free Urusa, concentrates on keeping his jutsu in existence. Murase hides behind some bushes, ready for anything. Shiomi stands in front of a tree and atop its roots. She knows that a ground attack is impossible since one can not dig through deep roots.

The smoke fades away, and Shiomi screams. "HE'S STILL OUT HERE!" And that he is. The crater is empty save for the multitude of black spears stabbing into the ground. Sugita, seeing that his jutsu has done nothing, releases his control. The black spears, and the scrolls, fade into nothingness.

"**Aburand-Goh: Shiven Tsukwy**!"

Without warning the earth around Shiomi explodes. The sound of a primal beast echoes from the maelstrom of dirt as the hulking form of Urusa appears in front of Shiomi. All it takes is a single straight punch. The kunoichi is driven into the tree, crushing her body into the bark. Blood pours from her mouth, nose and ears.

The demon's body is pockmarked with wounds. Small circular wounds leak blood from all over his form. But they are all superficial, his strange jutsu saving him from certain death.

Urusa pivots to face Sugita smirking at his surprise attack. His right hand index finger swiftly traces some more symbols on the back of his left hand, and the world blurs.

"**Seigyrtu-Goh: Rogabruk Synsuriishi Il**."

Sugita stumbles around as nausea assaults his mind like stones thrown in a glass house. His body is saying that he is upside-down while his brain is saying that he is underwater dancing with his brain separate from his skull.

Thankfully for Sugita the strange jutsu is short for it only lasts for a few seconds. Unfortunately, it ends just in time to see a small tree slam into his chest. The force of the blow lifts the shinobi off his feet and into the loam. The tree's weight sinks Sugita deep into the ground.

Murase can barely take a step before the demon is upon him. Urusa grabs his arm and taunts the human. "Ohh lookee lookee my first catch! I'm gonna make a nice meal out'a you, by my feet I will!" And after saying that, he encircles Murase's waist with his thumb and forefinger. With but a little flick of the wrist he twists Murase's arm three-hundred and sixty degrees. Murase screams louder than he ever has in his entire life. He twists and turns madly in Urusa's grip, only intensifying the pain.

Then, after some wiggling of the shattered shoulder, the arm is bent back wards at the elbow. This time he does not scream. Instead his body falls into convulsions, shock shutting down his brain. The crack is sickening, if anyone had heard it.

And far worse would have been done if a small white piece of paper had not been thrown. The thrower, Teshima, is still unconscious, as evidenced by his sightless eyes and drooling mouth. But his body definitely threw the card, he just doesn't know it.

The sharp edges slice open the swollen right eye of the demon explodes in a torrent of blood. The organ deflates like an overfilled balloon and covers his face like a red shower. Urusa screams in panic and stumbles back. Then he lurches forward to slam his head into a tree. Then he turns and charges another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

Quickly this behavior escalates to complete destruction. The loss of his eye is too much, and his bloodlust has taken over. His mad rage is halted though, when chains wrap around his neck, wrists and ankles, binding his movement. The head turns slightly to face the aggressor. Red eyes lacking any civilized thought centers on the outstretched hands of Shiomi. Urusa gives a snort and stares her down hard. But not even his mighty roar makes her back down.

Seeing this prey as a strong one, he steps forward to test that strength on her body. The feel of paper on his flesh slows him down though. Urusa's hateful brain tries to reason with this feeling, debating with itself whether or not he should care. That is, until the paper slides up into his vision and a very familiar seal is seen.

Behind his back, Sugita lies underneath the tree controlling the last of his scrolls, which now wrap themselves around the demon's body.

He stands in the center of the war-torn clearing, bound with chains and deadly scrolls and one good eye. The four Konoha ninja are scattered all about the area in various degrees of pain.

And that is how it is, when the battle is decided.

"**Darkness Intimate Vengeance: Black Spear Many Strikes!"**

"Fuck me." Says Urusa.

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

Wow. Its been quite a while since I last updated isn't it?

Ah well, as always, READ AND REVIEW!

Thank you.

Arballisk, long gone.


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